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Search for National Museum Directors Extended

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www.florencenewsandevents.com June 2015

Florence is drenched in color this summer as Pitti Immagine returns with a theme entitled That’s Pitticolor. “It will be about color and col-ors, the colors we are steeped in, the colors that surround us, the colors that we wear, that are in-side us and before our eyes,” said Agostino Poletto, deputy general manager of Pitti Immagine.Showcasing the latest in con-temporary lifestyle trends, the series of trade fairs once again brings top designers to Florence

for Pitti Uomo 88 (June 16–19) and Pitti Bimbo (June 25–27), located at Fortezza da Basso and throughout the city. It is one of the first in a series of similarly colorful events this summer taking place in June. Estate al Bargello continues its spectacle of dance, music and theater in the courtyard of the Bargello National Museum, while the Roman theater at Fie-sole hosts music, cinema and dance for Estate Fiesolana from June 11.

The Tuscan Sun Festival (June 11–18) invites international mu-sicians, artists, actors and chefs to the region while the Chianti Star Festival (June 13 – July 19) explores the relationship be-tween art and science.The city brims with energy to celebrate the feast day of its pa-tron saint John the Baptist on June 24. Best known for calcio storico fiorentino, a barbarous combi-nation of football, rugby and wrestling that pits the four quar-

Fashion show inaugurates a spectrum of summer eventsters of the city against each oth-er, the anniversary also includes a rowing regatta on the Arno and the San Giovanni Nocturnal Run, a marathon consisting of a 10-kilometer competitive run and a four-kilometer walk that starts and finishes from the Pi-azza del Duomo on June 20. As night falls over the city on June 24, the legendary ‘fires of San Giovanni’, a pagan summer rite now a modern pyrotechnic spectacle, set the sky alight over Piazzale Michelangelo.

PITTI COLORS FLORENCE

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NEWSJUNE 2015

www.florencenewsandevents.comFlorence News & Events

Florence News & Events is distributed throughout Florence in all key reference points for the English-speaking

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:Lorenzo PicchiPROOFREADER: Lucy DavidGRAPHIC & WEB DESIGN: Naz KangalCONTRIBUTORS: Chiara Becchetti, Brooke Feichtl, Lee Foust, Asli Kangal, Avani Kapur, Jhovanna Lopez, Mark Massey, Philippa Norton, Ivana Scatola, Olivia Turchi.

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CONTACT [email protected]: + 39 380 90 44 142

HumanUntil September 27Forte di BelvedereTuesday – Sunday 10 a.m – 8 p.m.

(Closed on Monday) Free entrance

www.musefirenze.it

Forte Belvedere Hosts Gormley

Forte Belvedere is hosting an ex-hibit on Antony Gormley, one of the most acclaimed sculptors working today. Since its inauguration last month, the exhibit has boomed with more than 22,000 visitors within the first 10 days. Human brings together more than 100 works by Gormley in the inner rooms of the villa, the bastions, the staircases and the terraces, to occupy every side of the six-teenth-century fortress with its extraordinary views over the city and the surrounding hills. At the core of the exhibition are two arrangements of the famous work Critical Mass II, an ‘an-ti-monument’ that comprises 12 body forms, each cast five times to produce a total number of sixty works that can exist in any orien-tation. Made in 1995, the work is a reflection of the darkest side of German history, dedicated to all

the victims during the twentieth century.On the east side of lower terrace, 12 body forms of Critical Mass II are installed in a linear progres-sion, from foetal to stargazing, re-calling the ‘ascent of man.’ This dialectic between aspiration-al and abject is the tension that runs throughout the exhibition.Critical Mass II acquires a new po-tency in relation to a Renaissance city, the history of humanism and the continuing and ever-present relationship between money, mil-itarism and power.

The Centre for Contemporary Culture Strozzina is presenting the exhibition Sculptures Also Die, a reflection of contemporary sculpture that presents works by 13 Italian and international art-ists. The exhibition explores the way artists today are rediscover-ing materials that were previously dedicated to an academic sphere, such as bronze, stone or ceramic. These materials are revitalized and used in a conceptual manner in an attempt to recover the recent modernist past.Artists showcased include Fran-cesco Arena (Italy), Nina Beier (Denmark), Katinka Bock (Germa-ny), Giorgio Andreotta Calò (Italy), Dario D’Aronco (Italy), N.Dash (USA), Michael Dean (UK), Oliver Laric (Austria), Mark Manders (Netherlands), Michael E. Smith (USA), Fernando Sánchez Castillo (Spain), Francisco Tropa (Portu-gal), and Oscar Tuazon (USA).

Sculptures Also Die at the Strozzina

The exhibition is designed to tie-in with the Palazzo Strozzi exhi-bition, Power and Pathos. Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World, which offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience a di-alogue between the ancient and contemporary worlds of sculpture.The sculpture of the past survives today chiefly due to its ability to survive the test of time and yet bronzes often remain in a bro-ken state, creating an impression of both durability and a certain ephemeral quality, thereby trans-forming our perception.

Sculptures Also DieUntil July 26

CCC StrozzinaOpen daily: 10 a.m.–8 p.m

(Until 11 p.m every Thursday)Cost: €10; reduced: free/€4/€8.50

www.strozzina.org

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NEWSJUNE 2015www.florencenewsandevents.com

Florence News & Events

Search for National Museum Directors Extended

Philippa Norton

The Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tour-ism (MiBACT) announced last month that the appointment of new directors for 20 of Italy’s fin-est museums has been delayed until mid-August. MiBACT sent a stir through the museum world as it issued an in-ternational call for candidates, es-chewing tradition by opening the position to bilingual foreigners as well as nationals. With new poli-cies, MiBACT is hoping to attract prominent international figures as well as encourage a slowdown in Italy’s ‘brain drain’ within its own borders. A powerful interna-tional response has now brought

in more than 1200 applications. Such an influx of interest paired with a wider pool of competent applicants has thus delayed the reviewing process as the Ministry will need to spend more time and resources sorting out the most promising contenders. Culture Minister Dario Fran-ceschini was behind this change in the breadth of the search. In January, Franceschini intro-duced an extensive package of reforms intended to shake up the current administration of Italy’s museums in order to revitalize the protection, management and enhancement of the country’s cultural heritage. The 20 muse-ums will no longer be dependent on state superintendents, but will

have fiscal, managerial and ad-ministrative autonomy.Three museums in Florence are awaiting directors: the Uffizi Gal-lery, the Accademia Gallery and the Bargello National Museum. Each new director will take the helm for four years and lead in the implementation and development of cultural and scientific projects, organize shows and exhibitions and even establish opening hours and ticket prices, amongst a pleth-ora of other demands. Opening high-level roles within cultural institutions to an inter-national and national audience is ultimately reflective of Italy’s new and flexible approach in choosing the most advantageous manner to move forward.

Mark Massey

In a joint collaboration, the Acca-demia Gallery and the Order of Friars Minor present an exhibition highlighting the art of the Fran-ciscan movement between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. The exhibition also highlights the Franciscan order’s success in spreading the gospel throughout Asia. Franciscan Art: Masterpieces of Ital-ian art and Asian lands from the 13th to the 15th centuries runs till October 11 and displays such no-table works as the cuspidate pan-els from the altar of Santa Croce’s Bardi Chapel, painted glass by the Master of Figline, a significant artist in fourteenth-century Italy, and a panel depicting St Francis Offering the Sultan Ordeal by Fire from the Alte Pinakothek in Mu-nich, which is being displayed alongside fellow panels from its

Franciscan Art in Asiaat the Accademia

original location of Santa Croce for the first time. In addition to sculptures and paintings, the exhibit features a selection of archival documents and archaeological finds from the Museum of the Custody of the Holy Land in Jerusalem and the Museum of the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Artists’ works on display include those at-tributed to Giunta di Capitino and Coppo di Marcovaldo, as well as those by the Master of St Francis and the Master of the Franciscan Crucifixes.

Franciscan Art: Masterpieces of Italian art and

Asian lands from the 13th to the 15th centuries

Until October 11Accademia Gallery

Tues–Sun: 8:15 a.m.–6:50 p.m. www.uffizi.firenze.it

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NEWSJUNE 2015


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HAIRDRESSING SALON IN VIA DE’ BENCI

An intellectual both cosmopoli-tan and enduringly grafted into the history and traditions at the root of contemporary Europe; a masterful interpreter of that cul-tural disquiet that signified the twentieth century, Jiří Kolář is the protagonist of a noteworthy exhibition event at the Museo di Pittura Murale in San Domeni-co and Galleria Open Art, both of Prato. Curated by Francesca Pola and Mauro Stefanini, produced in cooperation with Galleria Open Art and showing more than 150 works, the exhibition is the first wide-ranging retrospective to be dedicated to Kolář in Italy since his death in 2002. For Kolář, images are the ideal substrate on which to condense the complexity of human thought: it is on this grate that fragments and traces of culture, art and communication catch and mix – talking fractals of the landscape of the world. He builds them ac-cording to a canon of destruction,

Jiří Kolář’s Imagination Explored in Prato

by harkening techniques referring back to the practice of collage, in-flected in an almost inexhaustible proliferation of operational vari-ants. He catches the nuances of the ‘becoming’ of the world itself, its dynamics of union and separa-tion; composition and conflict; to regenerate over and over again. On occasion of the exhibition, Jiři Kolář: A Workshop of Imagination, Carlo Cambi Editore is publish-ing a 300-page monograph edited by Francesca Pola: a comprehen-sive, careful and detailed histor-ic-artistic contextualisation that unites a highly emblematic cor-pus of works with many texts by the artist and period documents, in the interests of achieving a new and more complete reading of Kolář’s art. Among these docu-ments is previously unpublished material on the artist’s solo ex-hibitions at the Museum Haus Lange of Krefeld (1973), at the Sol-omon R. Guggenheim Museum of New York (1975) and at the Museo

Museo di Pittura Murale in San Domenico

Piazza San Domenico, 8, Prato0574 440 501

Mon - Sun: 2–8 p.m. (closed on Tuesdays)www.diocesiprato.it

Open Art GalleryViale della Repubblica, 24, PratoMon – Fri: 3–7:30 p.m.; Sat: 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 3–7:30 p.m.

Closed on Sundays and feast days0574 538 003

www.openart.it Free admission

Nacional Reina Sofìa of Madrid (1996), exhibitions that were cru-cial to Kolář’s life in art; the Prato retrospective presents some of the most significant works exhibited by the artist on those occasions. In collaboration with the Archivio Jiří Kolář, under the auspices of the Comune of Prato and Honorary Consulate of Czech Republic for Tuscany.

The Medici Chapels Museum is presenting the exhibition Sacred Treasures of Medici Family Devo-tion. On display until November 3, the exhibition showcases the Medici family’s collection of sacred and precious objects, commissioned by Cosimo II and Maria Maddale-na of Austria, which were once of-fered to religious sanctuaries and the state. Some of these devotional items were even offered to shrines far beyond the family’s rule in Tusca-ny, which include those of Loreto, the Holy Land and Goa, India.The priceless gifts, which have not been revealed to the public since 1945, include votive crowns, mounts for altars, chalices, mon-strances, reliquaries, candlesticks, holy wreaths, crosses and altar panels among many other valu-able pieces. Such treasures are not only indi-cators of the family’s uncondition-al devotion towards religion, but

Medici Devotion on Display

also reflect Medici wealth, culture, taste and undisputed economic and political prestige over Tusca-ny as a whole. The range of precious stones skilfully worked into gold, silver, crystal and other precious mate-rials also provide insight into the sophisticated and high level of craftsmanship achieved during the times. The exhibition, preceded by Sa-cred Splendor at the Medici Trea-sury and The Other Half of Heav-en at the Casa Martelli Museum, completes the series of these three major displays dedicated to

Sacred Treasures of Medici Family Devotion

Until November 3 Medici Chapels Museum

Open daily: 8:15 a.m.–5 p.m.(Closed on 2nd & 4th Sunday: 1st, 3rd & 5th Monday of each month)

Cost: €8; €4 reducedwww.polomuseale.firenze.it

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The Middle Ages on the RoadUntil June 21

Bargello National MuseumMon – Sun: 8:15 a.m.–5 p.m.

(Closed 1st, 3rd & 5th Monday of the month)

Cost: €7; €3.50 reduced 055 23 88 606

www.polomuseale.firenze.it

Bargello Traces FlorentineMedieval Routes

Divided into five sections and the result of a collaboration between the Bargello National Museum, Musée de Cluny in Paris, the Schnütgen Museum of Cologne and Catalonia’s Episcopal Mu-seum of Vic, the exhibition The Middle Ages on the Road explores travelling in the medieval period.The first section of the exhibit ex-plores the boundaries and percep-tions of the known world during the Middle Ages through a series of maps dating back to the four-teenth century, and, in particular, how the world was perceived from Florence at that time.The maps showcased present the routes followed primarily by merchants, as well as other kind of travellers, while the dangers of

sea travel are evoked through an iconographic section and the dis-play of ancient navigation tools.The second part is dedicated to presenting the different types of medieval pilgrims, including their travel garments, instruments, and the badges ‘conquered’ depend-ing on the destinations reached, and also presents direct accounts by the Crusaders.A third section documents land and sea travels through small objects, followed by an examina-tion of the theme of travel made for business or political purposes, such as the missions undertak-en by diplomats, messengers and ambassadors, with the display of various instruments necessary for such tasks, including document

folders, trading cards and letters of exchange.The final part of the exhibition fo-cuses on the short trips made by royalty and aristocrats, together with their entourage, to visit their domains or properties; in short, trips that were simply a demon-stration of power.

Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the

Hellenistic World

Until June 21Palazzo Strozzi

Open daily: 10 a.m.–8 p.m. www.palazzostrozzi.org

Ancient Greek Bronzes on Display

Palazzo Strozzi hosts Power and Pathos Palazzo Strozzi is hosting the ex-hibit Power and Pathos until June 21. Organized by the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation in collabora-tion with the J. Paul Getty Muse-um, the Los Angeles and National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Superintendence for the Ar-chaeological Heritage of Tuscany, the exhibit showcases some of the ancient world’s most important sculptural masterpieces. Sculp-tures are drawn from leading Ital-ian and international museums and include 50 bronzes that trace artistic development during the Hellenistic era.Hellenistic sculpture saw the birth of a genre known as ‘por-traits of power,’ at the same time it revolutionized the style of Clas-sical art by imbuing its figures with pathos. Monumental stat-ues of gods, athletes and heroes

are on display alongside portraits of historical figures, and a new-ly restored bronze sculpture of a horse’s head dating back to 350 BCE once owned by Lorenzo the Magnificent, which is on display after lingering for more than a century in storage at the Archaeo-logical Museum of Florence. Power and Pathos allows visitors to explore the fascinating stories behind the discovery of these works and learn about production, casting and finishing techniques.

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NEWSJUNE 2015


Sweet Triumphs: Sculptures of sugar on the table

of the Medici court

Until June 7Palatine Gallery

Palazzo PittiCost: €13; €6.50 reducedwww.polomuseale.firenze.it

Palazzo Pitti Serves Up Sweet Triumphs

The exhibition Sweet Triumphs: Sculptures of sugar on the table of the Medici court is on display at Palazzo Pitti until June 7.The exhibit aims to re-create the historic banquet held in Palaz-zo Vecchio on the evening of Oct. 5, 1600, prepared by some of the most influential Florentine sculp-tors on the occasion of the proxy wedding celebrated in Florence of Maria de’ Medici and Henry IV, King of France.That day the most established art-ists such as Michelangelo Buonar-roti the Younger, the great nephew of Michelangelo (to whose ac-count we owe detailed knowledge of the event), Bernardo Buontal-enti, Giambologna, Pietro Tacca and Gasparo Mola, showcased famous sculptures made of sugar instead of bronze. Michelangelo’s account describes decorative food, real pieces of art,

tablecloths and napkins shaped as sculptures.Among the sugar statues that most impressed Maria de’ Medi-ci and Henry IV was one in which represented Henry IV himself rid-ing a horse, 115cm in height, and those inspired by the Labours of Hercules.Sweet Triumphs evokes that mag-nificent day of feasting, glory and international tribute received by Florentine artists, and is one of the city’s events being displayed at Milan Expo 2015.

Exhibit reproduces historic banquet Pampaloni presents Roma Termini documentary at the Odeon

Poverty and LonelinessBehind the Station

Poverty, imagination and desper-ation are part of every big station in the world. These themes have become poetry in director Bar-tolomeo Pampaloni’s new doc-umentary Roma Termini, which screens on June 22 at 9 p.m. at the Odeon Cinema. The event is cu-rated by Florentine director Frank Conforti. Roma Termini is Rome’s central station – and Italy’s busiest – with 480,000 passengers in transit ev-ery day. Amongst the passing crowds live a group of men and women for whom the station is not a point of transit, but an immense, anony-mous home; a huge impersonal house protecting them from the cold, helping them to find a way of living with nothing. This city within a city is the sub-ject of Pampaloni’s film, based on four stories of men in freefall

who find themselves at the edges of society, slowly becoming invis-ible: they are not Stefano, Angelo, Tonino or Gianluca but anony-mous, homeless men. The movie seemingly represents a return to the poetry of Neorealist cinema.Pampaloni states, “I wanted to do something real, sincere, fresh and intense – not a film about homeless people, but a film made by them, where they’re the main characters of their own life.”Here the station itself becomes a scene of wandering souls where everyone shares the same loneli-ness.

“Roma Termini Station is the common background of these stories,” he continues. “The im-personal scene where our char-acters emerge, like survivors from a flood. I wished to portray the station as an enigmatic and ab-

stract place, like a limbo. So I cut it off from all the city surroundings that were going to bring it back to its actual geography by means of overexposing most of the large shots, getting Rome’s sunlight to erase the environment.... Coun-terbalancing this surreal aspect is the reality of the portrayed sto-ries and people, which are usually shot with close-up shots, where their faces fill the frame and their voices resound over the station background constant noise.”Born in 1982, Pampaloni is a Flo-rentine native but grew up in Paris, where he graduated from the Uni-versité Paris 8.

“No interviews, no script, no crew, no money. Just respect and ab-sence of judgment. That was the only way for me to stay human, to portray these people for what they are and not for what they repre-sent for us.”

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Terrorism, Migration, Climate Change and RussiaState of the Union conference confronts major themes

Mark Massey

‘Confronting the Future of Europe’ was the theme of this year’s 2015 State of the Union Conference, which took place from May 6–9 in Florence. Hosted by the European Univer-sity Institute (EUI), an interna-tionally recognized research cen-ter specializing in post-graduate and post-doctoral education, the Conference revolved around four themes and included 70 interna-tional speakers, 250 journalists and media personnel, and 2,500 participants over four days. Notable figures that made appear-ances at the conference included Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and HR/VP of the European Union (EU) Federica Mogherini.Bringing together policy-makers, leading academics and business leaders, the 5th annual State of the Union Conference kicked off Wednesday, May 6, at the historic Villa Salvati and the Badia Fieso-lana, the main building of the EUI campus. EUI Professor of International Law and Human Rights Martin Scheinin touched and expounded on a variety of issues at the official State of the Union Address on May 8, such as terrorism, migration, climate change and Russia as crit-ical priorities of the current EU agenda. The topic of migration was central to Scheinin’s remarks, who insist-ed that European leaders reject the use of military force on civil-ian vessels carrying migrants to

Europe. Scheinin stated that the EU must be honest in its version of global justice, reflected in mem-ber state actions. EUI President J.H.H. Weiler, in the morning panel session, inter-viewed Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the European Commission, who began his re-marks referencing Euroskepti-

cism, saying that it is part of a broader phenomenon of anti-in-stitutionalism. Timmermans went on to say that this phenomenon is visible in ev-ery EU member state. While stating that the task of the EU is challenged, Timmermans asked that those who voice an-ti-EU, anti-European sentiments

not be ignored. Alluding to the current fragmentation in the EU, Mr. Timmermans said that na-tional governments and leaders must take their share of respon-sibility for the European proj-ect, and stop blaming the EU for things seemingly gone wrong, while readily taking credit for suc-cess.

Former Director-General of the In-ternational Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed El Baradei, speaking in the afternoon session, directly ad-dressed the Arab Spring and its aftermath.Interviewed by Jennifer Welsh of the EUI, El Baradei also addressed European reaction to the events of the Arab Spring.In his remarks, El Baradei said,

“The Arab Spring was a question of when, not whether.” In his assessment, the widespread oppression and prevalent inequal-ity in the region(s), combined with the social networking of young people, were the two main driving forces that pushed against the old-er regimes, which sought to main-tain their power for as long as they could. According to El Baradei, the ques-tion has now become how to con-tinue managing fallout from the Arab Spring.On May 8, Badia Fiesolana hosted conference events all day related to the topics of surveillance and freedom in Europe and the in-terface of Europe with the world. Focusing on the same topics, Palazzo Vecchio, in the heart of Florence, hosted the conference the next day. The conference concluded on May 10 with guests and visitors invited to events at Badia Fiesolana and Villa Salvati. Attendees of the Con-ference were also treated to a con-cert featuring the Orchestra dei Ragazzi from the Fondazione Scu-ola di Musica di Fiesole ONLUS, directed by Edoardo Rosadini.

8 JUNE 2015www.florencenewsandevents.com


ESTATE AL BARGELLO

Theater, dance, classic and con-temporary music: Estate al Bargel-lo presents a calendar richer than usual this year to commemorate the Bargello National Museum’s 150th anniversary, with celebra-tions beginning last month and continuing until September.Taking center-stage is the 2015 Florence Dance Festival from July 9 to 30. This year’s program is proving to be one of interna-tional caliber, showcasing some of Italy’s most prominent dance companies inspired by this year’s celebrations of Florence’s 150th an-niversary as former capital of Ita-ly, and the 750th anniversary of the birth of Dante Alighieri. Co-cre-ated by Italian ballerina l’Étoile Marga Nativo and New York cho-reographer Keith Ferrone in 1990,

the festival, now in its 26th edition, brings together some of the most important Italian and internation-al dance companies to perform in the Bargello’s historic courtyard. Headlining the program is Divina.com, a multimedia spectacle fea-turing philosopher-artist Adi Da Samraj together with music and choreography that leads the audi-ence through a contemporary ver-sion of Dante’s Inferno, Purgatory and Heaven, and takes place from July 9–11. The festival also includes perfor-mances by the Florence Dance Company, the Peridance Con-temporary Dance Company (New York), Flamenco Lunares (an Ital-ian-Spanish company), Balletto di Roma, Italy’s most prominent dance troupe Aterballetto, KAOS

Balletto di Firenze, Deos and Ki-nesis Danza. These join the ranks of the more than 500 world-class companies and popular dance artists from all over the globe that have enriched the city’s contem-porary culture with their perfor-mances in previous editions. Estate al Bargello’s theatrical pro-gram includes Arthur Schnitzler’s The Return of Casanova, Nicco-lo Machiavelli’s The Mandragola (June 16–21), a stage adaptation of Franz Kafka’s Letter to the Fa-ther (June 25–27) and readings from Orlando Furioso featuring Stefano Accorsi, in a performance entitled Playing With Orlando Solo (July 1–3). Sandro Lombar-di recites Pier Paolo Pasolini’s A Desperate Vitality (August 27–29), while music lovers can enjoy per-

Estate al Bargello Returns

Estate al BargelloBargello National Museum

Via del Proconsolo, 4 www.estatealbargello.it

055 238 8606

Florence Dance FestivalBorgo Stella, 23/r

055 28 92 76 – 392 91 24 363www.florencednace.org

Tickets:CircuitoRegionaleBoxOfficeVia delle Vecchie Carceri, 1www.boxofficetoscana.it

EVENT CALENDAR

June 4: Roberto Mancini, Blood rituals: the Bargello and capital punishment in Florence in the

modern ageJune 11: Francesco Caglioti,

Donatello: from the Medici to the Bargello Museum

June 18: Marco Collareta, Michelangelo (and company) in the

history of the BargelloJune 29: Carlo Sisi, Images of the Bargello: the gothic and its

variants

2015 FLORENCE DANCE FESTIVAL EVENTS

July 9: Opening GalaOrpheus and Linead

Divina.comFlying Mercury Award

July 10–11: Divina.com Dante/Adi Da Samraj/Florence

July 12: Kinesis Dance CompanyNew Generation: Corporeamente

July 15: AterballettoCahier de la Dance

July 17: Flamenco Lunares:El Paso Del Tiempo

July 19: Kaos – Balletto di Firenze: Gli Erecti

July 21: Balletto di Roma:Swan Lake

July 25: Toscana Dance HUB: Un Omaggio a Firenze Capitale

July 28: Peridance Contemporary Dance Company (New York):

Thundering SilenceJuly 30: Deos Teatro Carlo Felice

Genova: Pulcinella

DRAMA PERFORMANCES

June 3–7 & 9–14: Arthur Schnitzler’s The Return of

Casanova June 16–21: Niccolo Machiavelli’s

The MandragolaJune 25–27: Franz Kafka’s Letter

to the FatherJuly 1–3: Readings from Orlando Furioso featuring Stefano Accorsi,

Playing With Orlando Solo

formances by Chamber Orchestra Fiorentina (July 13–29) and Tosca – the Sound of the Voice directed by Massimo Venturiello with music direction by Bubbez Orchestra, which takes place towards the end of the festival on September 12.

9JUNE 2015www.florencenewsandevents.com


LITERATURE

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Stop the Press: Literary Events this SummerLee Foust

May was hot and June will be even hotter in Florence. I’m not talking

about the changeable weather and unexpected rains we’ve had, obviously, but the English-lan-guage literary scene of course. St Mark’s English Church’s Flor-ence Writers group has already hosted yours truly, reading from his spoken word Paradoxa pieces, an open mic poetry night, three lectures from bibliophile (and fel-low Oakland native) Robert Blesse on the history of printing (a series that also featured a stellar book arts collaborations between Ly-all Harris and Patricia Silva), and Bostonian Brendan Kiely reading from and discussing his first novel The Gospel of Winter.Kiely’s narrative deals with a wealthy Connecticut teen’s trou-bled relationship with a preda-tory Catholic priest and, as the dust jacket proclaims, “The ways that love can be used as a weapon against the innocent.”I found the author wonderfully eloquent on the tough issues that his novel presents—how truth, in both life and art, can lead to us to real love. We have Brendan’s wife, Jessie Chaffee, to thank for his presence among us this year as she is in Florence on a Fulbright fellowship to research her own up-coming novel. Set in present-day Florence, the yet-to-be-titled text incorporates the writings, lives, and legacies of the Italian mys-tical saints in order to shed light on contemporary issues of female

identity. While in Florence, Jessie has also been the Writer-in-Res-idence at Florence University of the Arts.At 6:30 p.m. on June 13 the Flor-ence Writers series concludes with a talk on partnership publishing by literary agent April Eberhardt. Then, beginning on July 15 (at 7:30 p.m.), the group will begin hosting a monthly open mic. word extrav-aganza at the Ostello Tasso in Via Villani, 15 (just off the Piazza Tas-so). Come one, come all!Lost in Florence blogger Nardia Plumridge is hosting a Sunday Summer Market, also at the Os-tello Tasso, from 2 p.m. to sun-down every Sunday from June 3 through August 30. Inspired by the Monti Markets in Rome, the Lost in Florence market consists of 12 stalls in the courtyard of the hostel and features local artisans of Florence showcasing their best

work—a mix of fashion, home wares, books, and jewelry. Music and drinks accompany a chance to browse, ogle, and purchase the hand-made products.A very special event indeed, but in Italian, will be actor Rober-to Zibetti’s dramatic recitation of La tela del dolore, a short story by English-Armenian writer and longtime Florence resident Baret Magarian. This event will be held on June 16 at 9:30 p.m. the Café Letterario Le Murate. Not to be missed!As it does every summer, NYU’s Villa La Pietra summer arts pro-gram kicks off its series of perfor-mance events called The Season, in June. First up is a two-day (6–9 p.m.) dialogue entitled A Villa and Garden for Italian and American Writers and Readers on June 4 and 5, held at La Pietra itself. On June 8 poet Mark Bibbins and

LeeFoustisafictionwriterand performer from Oakland,

California who teaches literature and creative writing at various US universities in Florence. He

is the author of Sojourner, a collection of stories and poems about the mystery of place, and

the forthcoming Poison and Antidote, nine bohemian tales of San Francisco during the Reagan

era. Read more from Lee at www.leefoust.com.

novelist Heidi Julavits read from their works and on June 15 jour-nalist and poet Meghan O’Rourke and journalist and novelist Colson Whitehead present their writings. Both of these readings will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Café Letterario Le Murate. Space is limited for these events so sign up at the website: www.nyu.edu/lapietra/season/events.html#2

BIBLIOTECA GABINETTO G.P. VIEUSSEUX

Piazza Strozzi055 28 34 2

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BIBLIOTECA MARUCELLIANA Via Cavour, 43

055 21 06 02 // 055 21 62 43 Monday to Friday: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.www.maru.firenze.sbn.it

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BIBLIOTECA NAZIONALEPiazza Cavalleggeri, 1/a

055 24 91 91 // 055 24 91 91Monday to Friday: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.www.bncf.firenze.sbn.it

IRIS Piazza Strozzi, Palazzo Strozziwww.iris.firenze.it/index_e.php

BIBLIOTECA COMUNALE CENTRALE

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CULTURE

Lucy David

A family of Florentine craftsmen has discovered previously un-known theorems hidden in Leon-ardo’s mechanical designs, shed-ding light on the full scope of his genius.Carlo Niccolai and his son Gabri-ele have spent decades construct-ing working models of Leonardo’s inventions through close study of his famous codices. In collabo-ration with a team of specialists, the Niccolai family re-creates the designs using materials such as wood, rope, fabric and metal that date back to the fifteenth and six-teenth centuries. The rigor of practical and me-chanical tests carried out on each model has given rise to a number of insights into Leonardo’s ap-proach and surprisingly modern grasp of technology, such as his fa-mous ‘robot’, which was originally believed to have been designed as an armored robotic knight. How-ever, during laboratory tests the robot was discovered to be lim-ited in its upper body movement and instead possess flexible wrists adapted to drumming, and is now believed to have been designed for use in parades and ceremonies. In his studies for a European Com-mission-sponsored exhibition of the machines in Brussels earlier this year, Gabriele Niccolai noted how Leonardo appears to have deliberately scattered the me-chanical components required to create his inventions over several different pages of his codices, al-lowing artisans to create individ-

Realizing Leonardo’s Projects Exhibit showcases working models of da Vinci’s designs, as museum hits 10th anniversary

The Machines of Leonardo da VinciMichelangiolo Gallery

Leonardo da Vinci MuseumVia Cavour, 21

Open daily: 9:30 a.m – 7:30 p.m.Cost: €7 (full price); €5 (reduced);

€3 (groups of 15 or more).Entrance, snack and drink

promotion: €8 (between 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.).

055 295 264www.macchinedileonardo.com

ual elements but preventing their understanding of the machine as a whole. This may be due in part to the fact that Leonardo’s codi-ces have been split up and reas-sembled over the years – sculptor Pompeo Leoni took the liberty of cutting and dividing several of the codices into scientific and artis-tic categories in the seventeenth century – however such a practice would have also safeguarded his inventions during times of war. Leonardo’s catapult design in the Atlantic Codex is rendered useless without details of its ballistic ad-justments, which are found in a different part of the codex as a se-ries of self-locking mechanisms. A deeper understanding of Leon-ardo’s codices has revealed that many of his technological inno-vations rested upon those of his engineering predecessors, such as Brunelleschi, Vitruvius, Heron of Alexandria and Archimedes of

Syracuse, which Leonardo adapt-ed to his own context. His modi-fication of a mechanism based on a description found in Herodotus and believed to have been used for building the pyramids surpassed all expectations when Niccolai created its working model in 2011: a 300kg concrete block was so re-duced in weight that a six-year-old child was able to lift it.The Niccolai family has been re-constructing working models of Leonardo’s designs since 1995, when Carlo Niccolai dedicated himself to the work full-time in a desire to realise Leonardo’s legacy. His passion founded the Niccolai Collection, the largest private col-lection of Leonardo models in the world, comprising more than 300 working models created by him-self and his sons, together with a team of artisans, engineers, histo-rians and architects. The models have been displayed

at more than 100 international ex-hibitions throughout Europe and as far afield as Australia, New Zea-land, China, the US, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Finland. More than 50 working models are on perma-nent display at The Machines of Leonardo da Vinci exhibit at Gal-leria Michelangiolo in Via Cavour. Here visitors have the chance to not only observe but also interact with various prototypes, such as the aerial screw used in today’s helicopters, alongside a scu-ba-diving apparatus, glider, bicy-cle, tank and missiles; and view reconstructions of Leonardo’s studies of anatomy. The exhibit also displays copies of six codices, in which the visitor can view the sketches that reveal the workings of the great man’s mind. The Niccolai family has been widely praised for its ongoing de-votion to realising the vast inheri-tance that Leonardo left to science.

Professor Carlo Pedretti, director of the Armand Hammer Center for Leonardo Studies at the University of California, says, “Carlo Niccolai is an admirable figure, a talented craftsman who has developed his own way in studying the techno-logical level reached by Leonardo da Vinci. Moreover, he is a person gifted with great simplicity and humility. His work is important to scholars because it helps our the-ories and contributes to study in-depth Leonardo’s machines and all the technological discoveries made at that time.” Indeed, as Bill Gates’ $30 million purchase of the Leicester Codex indicates, we have much to be grateful to Leon-ardo for: next time your car gets a flat tire, you can thank Leonardo for inventing the jack.

Leonardo’s designs on display include the aerial screw (used in today’s helicopters), human robot, hydraulic drill, scuba-

diving apparatus, hang glider, tank,missiles,bicycle,floodlight,

lifebuoy and jack.



OLTRARNO

“The Grandest Festa of the Year”Elizabeth Barrett Browning on St John the Baptist fireworks

Olivia Turchi

To introduce the June 24 celebrations dedicated to Flor-ence’s patron saint

St John the Baptist, it is wise to draw inspiration from the Oltrar-no, and in particular from a street in this area that tells us so much about the history of Florence, namely Via Maggio. The image of St John the Baptist was disseminated throughout Europe on the florin, the Floren-tine coin that was introduced in 1252, and was even mentioned by Dante in his masterpiece The Divine Comedy. It is also present in a fifteenth-century fresco rep-resenting Christ’s baptism by the Lorenzo di Bicci workshop, and a 1467 triptych by Neri di Bicci in the church of San Felice. St John the Baptist can also be seen on the capitals in the Palazzo Ricaso-li Firidolfi courtyard and in the private chapel of Palazzo Ridolfi in Via Maggio, which was built at the end of the sixteenth century by Giovan Battista Zanchini and attributed to Santi di Tito.To get inside the heart of this Flo-rentine feast day, the words of nineteenth-century English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning are perhaps some of the most reveal-ing. Barret Browning spent her Florentine days writing verses in her literary shelter of Casa Gui-di on Via Maggio, an apartment that she shared with her husband Robert Browning at the south end of the street, and which can be

visited every year from April to November. Amongst her writings, she describes how the feast day was celebrated during the period of the Italian Risorgimento.In a letter to her sister dated June 1847, Barrett Browing writes:“Meanwhile, here is the grand festa of San Giovanni, the patron saint of Florence, the grandest fes-ta of the year—and there are to be chariot races in the piazza close to us, & horse races (without riders) somewhere else—games in the manner of the ancients—also fire-works at night. We had intended to have hidden our sublime faces from these things—but after all, I suppose we shall not—it seems foolish not to see what is so char-acteristic of the people when we have only to open our eyes—so we have ordered the carriage as usu-al at six, & I will tell you the result. The fireworks I certainly shall like to see: for I like fireworks, & Robert says that Italy is famous for them. Altogether it will cost us a few pauls & two headaches, perhaps.”Characteristic of both yesterday and today, the annual St John the Baptist fireworks display that the city offers to its residents and vis-itors is a real Florentine tradition that struck the English poet. This is how she describes it:“I couldn’t help screaming out for pleasure, and surprise. I never had seen any good fireworks, but Rob-ert, who had, declared that noth-ing ever met his eyes to compare with these...and then the whole scene, the river, the people, the garden & characteristic houses

Olivia Turchi and the Via Maggio Association

Turchi is the founder and president of the Via Maggio

Association, a society born to protect the cultural identity and the unique connotations of the street and its historical quarter,

which is composed of a voluntary committee of citizens, including

business owners, artisans, antique dealers and residents.

contrived to throw one into a fit of ec[s]tasy—it was my turn to be child, after all my fine reflection of the hour before. Beyond descrip-tion beautiful, these fireworks were. Great temples, living in light up in the sky...fantastic palaces, burning there & going out, fading away, leaving rains of glory...foun-tains of flame rising upward as if to find the stars, & then falling, falling into the river...dripping in a regular noiseless splendor which took away your breath! and then entire globes which leapt above the houses, & there broke into a rain of fire or of living fiery ser-pents which seemed tensing & curling when you looked at them! I cannot describe to you how mar-vellously beautiful it was.”

A Jewel in the Oltrarno

Located in the Oltrarno, in the heart of one of the tradition-al Florentine quarters rich in handicraft and antique shops, nestled between the Ponte Vec-chio, the Uffizi Gallery, Palazzo Pitti, Boboli Gardens and Santo Spirito, is Palazzo Belfiore. Once the residence of an ancient four-teenth-century family, today it is a luxury residence of seven apart-ments, all of which have been recently restored with particular attention paid to architectural de-tails and the placement of antique furniture.The first apartment is named after the Venetian noblewoman Bian-ca Cappello, who became Grand Duchess of Tuscany in 1574 and wife to Francesco de’ Medici. The foyer entrance of this apartment was typical of a medieval town-house. Another apartment is named after Francesco de’ Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and boasts a single, large arched window that

reaches from the floor to the ceil-ing, with two smaller windows that allow ample light into the spacious apartment. In the four-teenth century, this part of the building was a market space open to the public. With the exception of one, the apartments are named after members of the Medici fam-ily: Cosimo, Giovanni di Lorenzo (who became Pope Leo X), Cater-ina, Lorenzo. Another is named after Clarice Orsini, the Roman noblewoman who became Loren-zo de’ Medici’s bride.The seven apartments have two to six beds and mix old and modern furniture, making Palazzo Belfio-re the perfect stay in Florence for those wanting to avoid hotels and hostels, opting instead for an inti-mate stay in a historic Florentine building, in the only part of the city that continues to maintain real traditions: the Oltrarno.For more information on Palazzo

Belfiore, visit the website: www.palazzobelfiore.it

Discover Palazzo Belfiore



A Gallery of Trophies and Sport History

CULTURE & SPORT

The newly reopened Jack is ready to rock ‘n’ roll! Come by for lunch or dinner and try the revamped menu featuring traditional Italian food and American staples. Enjoy live music, DJ sets and the costume parties that Jack has become famous for, as well as two HD screens showcasing special sporting events. If all that Italian espresso just isn’t hitting the mark, drop by One-Eyed Jack’s to enjoy American coffeewith a free refill between11a.m.and5p.m.Freewifiisalsoavailable. Daily from 11 a.m.–2 a.m.

THE BAR YOUR MOM WARNED YOU ABOUT

Piazza Nazario Sauro, 2/r055 09 44 561

www.thejackpub.com

Get your Fiorentina shirt with a 15% discount when you show this paper at the FLORENCE CURIOSITY

SHOP next to Pizzeria O’Vesuvio in

Via De’ Cimatori, 23/r.

NEW JOMA FIORENTINA 2014-2015 KITS

As part of a celebration of Florence’s patron saint, John the Baptist, calcio storico fiorentino is held annually in June. The tradition dates back to the sixteenth century and puts Flor-ence’s four quarters into head-to-head combat in a game that mixes football, rugby and wrestling. In-vented by the Romans to train their troops and conserved by Floren-tines, it is still played every year in Piazza Santa Croce, and the ancient rules are still observed. Before each game a procession of drummers, flag-bearers, team members and other Florentines, all dressed in sixteenth-century Re-naissance attire, parades from Pi-azza Santa Maria Novella to Piazza della Signoria, through Via dei Neri and Via dei Benci and on to the field of play, Piazza Santa Croce. Matches last 50 minutes and are played on a field covered in sand, doubly long as it is wide, with net

Tourists drawn to Florence by its art and architecture sometimes miss out completely on one of its most interesting museums: Museo del Calcio (soccer museum), or, located in the Coverciano area, not far from the stadium. The museum is divided into three floors that reveal the history of Ital-ian and international soccer from its origins in the twentieth century. All jerseys exhibited belonged to former players, and the cleats on display date back to the years of the sport’s pioneers during the second half of the nineteenth century.

City Lines Up For Calcio StoricoHistoric football takes place from June 13–24

goals at each end. Each team has 27 players: four datori indietro (goal-keepers), three datori innanzi (full-backs), five sconciatori (halfbacks), and 15 innanzi or corridori (forwards). The game starts when the pallaio throws the ball to the center line, followed by the firing of a small can-non, announcing the beginning of play. From this moment on, the play-ers attempt to get the ball into the opponent’s goal. The teams change sides with every point scored.Tactics such as head-butting, punch-ing, elbowing and choking are al-lowed, although the modern version forbids sucker punches and kicks to the head. Players continue to play despite any injuries they may incur, as there are no substitutes. Many players boast that they would rather die on the field than in the hospital. The team that scores the most cacce (points) wins. Historically, the win-ners are awarded a white calf to rep-

resent the sweet taste of victory. To-day, the victorious team wins a calf’s equivalent weight in mouth-water-ing bistecca fiorentina.Originally, calcio storico was re-served for aristocratic noblemen who played every night between Epiphany and Lent in front of the Ba-silica of Santa Croce, and the areas of Via Il Prato, Piazza della Signoria or Piazza Santa Maria Novella.

June 13: St John (green) vs. Santa Maria Novella (red)

June 14: Holy Cross (blue) vs.

Holy Spirit (white)

Final match: June 24All matches begin at 5 p.m.

Tickets from €21 to €52 available online through Boxol.it. Standing tickets available on game days.

Museo del CalcioViale Aldo Palazzeschi, 20

Mon. to Fri. 9a.m.–1 p.m.; 3–7 p.m.; Saturday: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Sunday: Open for group reservations

Entry: € 5; reduced €3

Discover Florence’s soccer museum

Thehistoricbaroffersqualitybeer,freshcocktails, sandwiches and snacks amidst a traditional Irish pub atmosphere. The pub also offers various promotions andcontests with many exciting prizes. The genuine atmosphere together with the helpfulandinvitingstaffmakeDublinPuban ideal place to spend fun nights in good company or enjoy a beer any time while listening to great background music.

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THE IRISH PUB IN SAN LORENZO

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THE COVER



FASHION

Donatella Versace: The New Face of Givenchy

Strolling and Shopping Florence Online

Asli Kangal

Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci has revealed his surpris-ing pick for his Fall/Winter 2015 campaign – the iconic Versace designer, Donatella Versace. “So proud and honored to introduce my new ultimate icon: Donatella Versace... FW15 Givenchy Family Campaign”, Tisci wrote on Insta-gram, posting a black-and-white photo of himself and Donatella and promising that more shots would soon be unveiled. As the hashtags indicates, the photo-graph was shot by the famous duo Mert & Marcus and styled by Car-ine Roitfeld. Donatella, who reg-ularly appears in ads for her own design house, re-posted the snap on Versace’s Twitter account, cap-tioning it “For my talented friend Riccardo. Together we break fash-

ion boundaries today!” Although it may come as a surprise to see a fellow fashion designer appear in a competing brand’s ad, the two designers have had a solid friend-ship ever since their first meeting at a Vogue Italia dinner a decade ago. Tisci is notorious for his cast-ing, having helped transgender model Lea T. and albino mod-el Stephen Thompson to rise to fame. Donatella is also known for breaking ground. Along with her brother Gianni, she helped trans-form models Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford into house-hold names in the 1990s and was also among the first to grasp the potential of stars as a promotional vehicle for brands, tieing Versace’s name to icons such as Princess Diana and Madonna. The fashion world eagerly awaits the official release of the campaign next fall.

The first company to introduce the American novelty of rigid suit-cases to the Italian market, Valige-ria Gazzarrini is a historic shop in Florence, one that has marked the commercial history of the city.The combination of innovation and determination that has char-acterized the company since its beginnings in 1911, when found-er Giuseppe Gazzarrini bought the leather manufacturing firm

Reinventing Suitcases

Valigeria Gazzarrini Open daily: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Via Porta Rossa, 71-73/r

055 21 27 47 [email protected]

at which he worked to begin spe-cializing in suitcases, is the reason for its swift rise to success. By the 1920s Gazzarrini was already rec-ognized for the quality of its prod-ucts at national and international trade fairs, and four generations later it supplies top leather good and travel accessories worldwide.Today the story continues in the vein of its Florentine artisan roots, with a dual focus on quality Italian

goods such as Labiena 1856 and Orobianco, and emerging trends in international brands, including Longchamp, Tumi and Samsonite.

A new platform for shopping in Florence has been launched on-line. Entitled YouMODY, the concept enables consumers to ‘stroll’ the streets of Florence virtually, and enter the city’s most prestigious shops and artisan workshops to buy products. It’s the first time such a compre-hensive approach has been taken to online shopping in Florence. While the city is renowned for its craftsmanship, many of these traditional workshops are hid-

den away in its maze of winding streets. YouMODY’s objective is to make these artisans more visible and enable them to be ‘visited’ by a greater number of virtual clients, in order to promote the range and quality of items hand-produced in Florence.

“We have united Florence and the ‘Made in Italy’ brand to enable those who can’t be here physical-ly to stroll the streets of Florence and go shopping,” says concept founder Lorenzo Bulgarini.

Consumers can browse shops that range in location from the city’s most exclusive thoroughfares, such as Via de’ Tornabuoni and the Ponte Vecchio, to the centrally located Via Porta Rossa, Via della Vigna Nuova, Via de’ Rondinelli and Via del Parione; and Borgo San Jacopo and Via de’ Bardi in the traditionally artisan Oltrarno district. Items can be purchased online via computer, smartphone or tablet, and are delivered free worldwide by specialized courier.



FASHION

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HAIRDRESSER AND BEAUTY SERVICES

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www.alchimia-hairdesign.com

Pitti ReturnsArmani Launches Armani/Silos Museum

Asli Kangal

Showcasing the latest contempo-rary lifestyle trends, the Pitti Im-magine fairs return this month with a wide range of novelties, bringing the world’s top design-ers to Florence once again. This edition’s theme That’s Pitticolor is aimed at, as its name suggests, colors. For this edition, Moschino’s Jer-emy Scott serves as Guest Mens-wear Designer. The event, sched-uled for June 18 at Palazzo Corsini al Parione, features Moschino’s S/S 2016 collection for men, its first menswear runway in Italy since the designer took over as creative director. Another highlight is the Il Signor Nino exhibition, dedi-cated to one of the protagonists of Italian style, Nino Cerruti. The show, curated by journalist An-

Asli Kangal

In celebration of his fashion house’s 40th anniversary, Giorgio Armani opened a striking muse-um space on Milan’s Via Bergog-none named Armani/Silos. The occasion also heralded the official opening of the highly anticipated Expo Milan 2015. With a string of celebrations, from an elegant cocktail reception to a fashion presentation, the inauguration of Armani/Silos was attended by Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, Mi-lan Mayor Giuliano Pisapia, Expo Commissar Giuseppe Sala and a host of Hollywood stars including Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCap-rio and Tom Cruise among many others. The Italian designer chose to name the museum ‘Silos’, as a tribute to the building’s origins as a 1950s Nestlé granary. With

gelo Flaccavento and the Italian designer himself, traces nearly 50 years of his products, designs and Italian style. Expectations are also high for Carlo Brandel-li’s Italian debut for Kilgour’s S/S 2016 men’s collection. The event is scheduled for June 17 at Palazzo Medici Riccardi and the special tribute for the traditional calcio storico fiorentino on June 15 in Pi-azza Santa Croce. As part of the Guest Nation proj-ect, Pitti Discovery Foundation, in cooperation with the ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative, hosts the Con-stellation Africa event, an effort to promote four innovative brands from the African continent. A runway show scheduled for June 18 at the Dogana in Via Valfonda, features its menswear collections. As for Guest Womenswear Design-er, the honor goes to Central Saint

an investment of about €50 mil-lion, Armani/Silos has been a big economic commitment in terms of management. Housing 4,500 square meters and spread out over four floors, the sleek, minimal space features a conference hall, a digital archive, a cafeteria and gift shop. Showcasing the Milanese fashion house’s signature pieces, the museum is filled with 600 gar-ments and 200 accessories, which range from chic daywear, glam-orous gowns to other examples of exemplary suiting, for which the Italian designer is best known. The museum will not be limited to fashion shows, as Giorgio Armani states “It can be adapted for ex-hibits of other kinds, from paint-ing to sculpture and photography. Certainly any project, in order to be considered, must be close to my spirit.”

Pitti Uomo 88June 16–19

Fortezza da Basso Every day: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Last day: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Pitti Bimbo 81June 25–27

Every day: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Last day: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Pitti Immagine Filati 77July 1–3

Fortezza da BassoEvery day: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Last day: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Martins graduate and winner of the 2014 LVHMH prize, Thom-as Tait. Lapo Cianchi, Director of Communications and Events at Pitti Immagine, said that over the years, Tait’s London Fashion Week shows “have become not-to-be-missed events” and the 27-year-old designer continues to push fashion boundaries with his “sar-torial skills.”This summer Pitti Immagine also hosts Pitti Bimbo 81 (June 25–27), which showcases the newest fash-ions in childrenswear, and Pitti Immagine Filati 77 (July 1–3), the key international event featuring yarns for the knitting industry.With a record number of applica-tions from around the globe, 40 percent of the vendors during this year’s Pitti Immagine represent 1150 brands from more than 30 countries. Over 30,000 visitors at-tended the last edition, represent-ing the world’s leading depart-ment stores and smaller boutique retailers.

For more details see:

At the Fortezza da Basso from June 16-19



CITY GUIDETOURIST INFORMATION

Firenze Turismo 055 29 08 32 // 055 29 08 33Via Cavour, 1/rMon–Sat: 8:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.(Closed on Sundays and public holidays; see Comune info points below for Sunday hours.)[email protected] Airport ...........................055 31 58 74Via del Termine, 1Daily: 8:30a.m.–8:[email protected] ....................................... 055 21 22 45Piazza Stazione, 4Mon–Sat: 8:30a.m.–7 p.m.Sundays & public holidays: 8:30 a.m.–2 [email protected] loggia .............................. 055 28 84 96Piazza San GiovanniMon–Sat: 9 a.m.–7 p.m.Sundays & public holidays: 9 a.m.–2 [email protected]

EMERGENCY SERVICESPolice – emergency ..................................... 113Police – carabinieri ...................................... 112Police – municipal ...................... 055 32 83 333Ambulance ................................................... 118Fire department ........................................... 115Tourist medical service .............. 055 21 22 21Poison Center ............................. 055 79 47 819Pharmacies (open) ...................... 800 42 07 07Vehicle breakdown (ACI) ............................. 116Obstruction& towed vehicle ...... 055 42 24 142Civil protection services .............. 800 01 5 161Child abuse hotline ...................................... 114Emergency vet services ........... 055 72 23 683Environmental emergency response ....... 1515Lost&Found(Florenceoffice)...055334802

TRANSPORTBUS & COACHATAF (www.ataf.net) ................... 800 42 45 00BluBlus (www.blubus.it) ............. 800 27 78 25SITA Nord (www.fsbusitalia.it) ... 800 37 37 60CAP (www.capautolinee.it) ........ 055 21 46 37Vaibus (www.vaibus.com) ........ 058 35 87 897TRAINTrenitalia (www.trenitalia.com) .......... 89 20 21Italo (www.italotreno.it/en) ............... 06 07 08

MARKETS ANTIQUESBorgo Allegri, Via dell’Agnolo, Piazza dei Ciompi, Via Martiri del PopoloLast Sunday of each month (except July): 8:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.CENTRAL MARKETVia dell’ArientoMonday–Friday: 7 a.m.– 2 p.m. ; Sat: 7 a.m.–5 p.m.July and August: Monday–Saturday: 7 a.m.–2 p.m.CASCINE PARKFood products, clothing, antiques and home-wares.J. F. KennedyEvery Tuesday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m. FLEA MARKETPiazza dei CiompiDaily: 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.FLOWERS & PLANTS Via Pellicceria (under the loggia)Every Thursday (except public holidays): 8 a.m.–2 p.m.PORCELLINOClothing, textiles, Florentine straw products, leather and souvenirs. Piazza del Mercato Nuovo, Via Porta RossaDaily: 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.SAN LORENZOLeather goods (bags, shoes, clothing) and sou-venirs.Piazza San Lorenzo and neighboring streets Daily: 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.SANT’AMBROGIOFreshproduce,flowers,clothesandhome-wares.PIAZZA GHIBERTIIndoor market: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday: 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m.; Wednesday & Friday: 7:30 a.m.–7 p.m.; Satur-day: 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.Outdoor market: Monday–Saturday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m.SANTO SPIRITOPiazza Santo Spirito Fresh produce: Monday–Saturday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m.Handicrafts & antiques: 2nd Sunday of each month

DIRECT BUS TO PISA AIRPORT

Coaches depart from: Pisa Airport arrivals area, in front of the arrivals gate and Florence City Center S.M. Novella Train Station, outside the station. Journey: 70 minutes.

From Pisa to Florence:05.00 - 08.45 - 09.20 - 10.15 - 11.30

12.15 - 13.05 - 13.50 - 14.3016.15 - 17.15 - 18.30 - 19.30 -20.30

22.05 - 23.20 - 00.20

From Florence to Pisa:3.30 - 4.30 -7.15 - 8.05 - 8.50 10.10 - 11.10 - 11.30 - 12.0513.05 - 13.55 - 14.40 - 15.30

16.20 - 18.05 - 18.50

MUSEUMS & GALLERIESAccademia Gallery*Alinari National Photography Museum*Bargello National Museum*Bigallo Museum*Cathedral Museum (Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore)*Costume Gallery (Palazzo Pitti)*Dante House Museum*Galileo Museum *Horne Foundation Museum *Jewish Museum*Michelangelo’s House (Casa Buonarroti)*MUDI Children’s Museum Museum & Florentine Institute of Prehistory Museum of Natural History sections:Anthropology & Ethnology*Geology & Paleontology*Minerology & Lithology*Zoology ‘La Specola’*National Archaeological Museum*Orsanmichele*Palatine Gallery (Palazzo Pitti)*Palazzo Davanzati*Palazzo Medici-Riccardi*Palazzo Pitti*Palazzo Strozzi* Palazzo Vecchio*Porcelain Museum*Science & Technical Foundation*UffiziGallery*Vasari Corridor

RELIGIOUS SITESBaptistry of San Giovanni*Brancacci Chapel*Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo)‘Dante’s church’ (Santa Margherita de’ Cerchi)Jewish Synagogue*Medici Chapel*Ognissanti San LorenzoSan Marco*Santa Croce*Santa FelicitàSanta Maria Novella*Santissima AnnunziataSanto Spirito

GARDENSBoboli Gardens*Botanic Gardens*

APPROXIMATE FARESFirenze-Pisa Airport .............................. € 140.00Firenze-Bologna Airport ........................ € 180.00Firenze-Montecatini ................................ € 90.00Firenze-Arezzo ........................................€ 140.00Firenze-Siena ......................................... € 120.00Firenze-Livorno ...................................... € 160.00Firenze-San Gimignano ......................... € 100.00Firenze-Outlet Barberino ........................ € 65.00Barberino A/R+ 1 hr ................................€ 120.00Firenze-Outlet Leccio ..............................€ 65.00Leccio A/R+1 hr ...................................... € 120.00Firenze-Outlet Prada .............................. € 110.00Prada A/R+1 hr ....................................... € 160.00

FLORENCE AIRPORT FROM/TO DOWNTOWN Weekdays- € 20.00 + Luggage

Holiday- €22.00 + LuggageNight – 23.30 + Luggage

Taxi Bus1 Pax 20 Euro** 6 Euro*2 Pax 20 Euro ** 12 Euro*3 Pax 20 Euro ** 18 Euro*4 Pax 20 Euro** 24 Euro*5 Pax 20 Euro ** 30 Euro**then you need a Taxi/** more 1 Euro each bag

www.airportbusexpress.it



CITY GUIDE

The Firenze Card is your one-stop pass to the museums, churches and gardens of Florence. For €72 it offers:

• 72 hours of free access to 60 of Florence’s most popular and important museums, church-es and gardens, including current exhibitions, perma-nent collections and museum activities;

• Free use of public transport within Florence;

• Immediate access to busy museums – skip long queues and pre-booking;

• Dedicated smartphone ap-plication to help find the mu-seums, access free wi-fi and give you updated information on exhibits and events;

• Though the card can only be used once in each museum by one person, it also allows free entrance for EU citizens under 18 who are members of the same family unit of the cardholder.See the website for full details:

www.firenzecard.it

Sixty Museums in 72 Hours with the Firenze Card

Become a Friend of the Uffizi

For €40 for youth under 25, €60 for an adult and €100 for a family (two adults and two children), the cardoffersacalendaryear’sworthof free privileged entrance to the

following museums:

UffiziGalleryAccademia Gallery

The Pitti PalaceThe Palatine Gallery & Royal Apartments

The Gallery of Modern ArtThe Costume GalleryThe Medici Treasury

The Porcelain MuseumThe Boboli GardensThe Bardini Gardens

Bargello National MuseumMuseum of the Medici ChapelsMuseum of Palazzo Davanzati

Museum of San MarcoGarden of the Medici Villa of

CastelloMedici Villa of Petraia

Medici Villa of Poggio a CaianoMedici Villa of Cerreto Guidi

& Historical Hunting Territorial Museum

Cenacolo of Ognissanti Cenacolo of Andrea del Sarto

Cenacolo of Fuligno Cenacolo of Sant’Apollonia

Cloister of the Scalzo

www.amicidegliuffizi.it

COOKING COURSES IN SANTO SPIRITO

THE RESTAURANT OF THE FLORENTINES

In Tavola aims to spread Italian food- and wine-rich regional culinary traditions, such as those of Tuscany with its variety of dishes and recipes. Cooking classes as well as individual lessons for both professionals and beginners are offered, with specialdeals for students. Courses include: Market tour & cooking class, four-course dinner, easy dinner, easy lunch, home-made pasta and pizza & gelato.

LocatedinViaGhibellinanearSantaCroce,DaQue’Ganzioffersa fresh seafood and meat menu for both lunch and dinner. Tuscan specialties include ribollita and authentic Florentine steak, and all of the cakes and sweets are homemade. A special weekday lunchmenuforlessthan€10makestherestaurantaffordableforanyone. Special dishes: BAKED SEA BASS & TUSCAN STEAKMon. to Sun.: 12–2:30 p.m. & 7–11:30 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays.

ViadeiVelluti,18•055217672www.intavola.org•[email protected]

ViaGhibellina,70/r•0552260010www.daqueiganzi.it•[email protected]



CULTURE

In the construction of the Flor-ence Duomo cupola, architect Filippo Brunelleschi used a sys-tem of sandstone and wooden braces at very specific intervals to hold the walls of the building in place. Along the Duomo’s in-terior balustrade, eight metallic hooks are set into the structure around the interior, just beneath the paintings. Using these hooks and a complex system of chains, Brunelleschi was able to pinpoint the exact center of the dome. As construction continued upwards, the chains were simultaneous-ly raised at one end to create a perfectly symmetrical shape all the way through to the top of the structural opening.Equally as important as Brunelles-chi’s use of chains in the cupola’s construction was the technique he used to keep bricks in place: a herringbone brick system that relied on the precise use of both horizontal and vertical bricks that

Deconstructing the Cupola

lent support to one another. According to Professor Ricci, a ma-jor expert on the cupola who has spent four decades researching the techniques used by Brunelles-chi, construction of the cupola without the herringbone system would have been impossible.The structure itself is essentially made up of two domes, one inte-rior and the other exterior. Ricci’s findings were made possible in part by the use of a microprobe that was inserted approximately two feet between bricks in the in-terior shell, the first time anything has entered into what he referred to as the ‘heart’ of the structure.Brunelleschi died in 1446, 23 years before the structure was finished, including the addition of the cop-per ball and cross atop the lan-tern in 1469. His masterpiece still stands as the world’s largest ma-sonry dome, soaring at an awe-in-spiring 375 feet, including the lan-tern.

Chiara Becchetti

Through Renais-sance portraits of women it is possi-ble to understand

how modern fash-ion began. It was during this pe-riod when, for the first time in art history, women became the object of a somewhat obsessive attention to the details of beauty. Artists began focusing intently on women’s faces, hair, and clothes, and thus female portraiture took on another expressive element, beyond representing personality and social status.Simonetta Cattaneo can be con-sidered the first ‘supermodel’ in history, as Botticelli used her as a muse and inspiration for his paintings. Born in Genoa, she married Mario Vespucci, cousin of Amerigo Vespucci, the discoverer of the Americas. In 1475 Simon-etta was nominated as the Beau-

The Roots of Modern Fashion in Portraits at the Uffizi

ty Queen at La Giostra, a popular chivalrous tournament, which, that year, was won by Giuliano de’ Medici, the brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Giuliano and Sim-onetta embarked on a love story that came to a tragic end in 1476. She was only 22 when she died of tuberculosis. Giuliano died a few years later in the Pazzi Conspira-cy. Simonetta’s face is believed to appear in The Birth of Venus and the Madonna of the Magnificat at the Uffizi. Both her and her lover’s face are also believed to feature in Botticelli’s Primavera.Another model was Lucrezia Pan-ciatichi. In Bronzino’s portrait she appears with a ‘complicated’ hairstyle, blue eyes and a mel-ancholic expression; she wears a sumptuous red velvet dress and a corset trimmed with a belt made of precious stones; one of her two necklaces bears the inscription Amour dure sans fin, an allusion to the love of God, whilst her right

hand holds a prayer book; and the sleeves of the dress are big and de-tachable, as it was common in that period.Lastly, Eleonora da Toledo, Grand Duke Cosimo de’ Medici’s wife, who was depicted by Bronzino with her son Giovanni. Born in Spain, Eleonora brings to the world of fashion and beauty a stron-ger Mediterranean approach. Set against a dark-blue background, with a face as cold as marble, the Duchess of Florence appears con-fident of her beauty. The fashion trends of sixteenth-century Spain become evident in both her hair-style, pulled delicately into a net, and the fabrics used to make her complex dress. Further, Arabic patterns decorate her close-fit-ting corset while the repetition of pomegranate motifs symbolize the Duchess’s fertility. Gold cords and pure pearls, while demon-strating the prestige of the Medici family, also cover her shoulders.



SURVIVING SUMMER

This year’s summer is expected to be the hottest in the last 30 years. For those who prefer to stay out-doors, even in the terrible Floren-tine summer heat, here is a short guide of the shady spots in the city. Piazzale Michelangelo. The per-fect place for a panoramic view of the city, especially great for sun-sets. Giardino delle Rose. A green ter-race below Piazzale Michelangelo, overlooking the historic center of the city. Address: Viale Giuseppe Poggi 2 (near Piazzale Michelan-gelo).Bardini Gardens. On the hills near Piazzale Michelangelo is one of Florence’s best kept secrets. Vis-itors will see camellias, viburnum, hydrangeas, glycines and rose trees of various species. Address: Costa San Giorgio, 2.Giardino dell’Orticoltura. Built in 1879 by Giacomo Roster for the Tuscan Horticultural Society.Transportation: Take bus line 2 from Santa Maria Novella station.Address: Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 4.Botanical Gardens. Established by Cosimo dei Medici in 1545, this is one of the oldest parks in the

Escaping the HeatA guide to the shady spots in Florence

world. It is currently maintained by the University of Florence and boasts a collection of carnivorous plants. Address: Via Micheli.Cascine Park. A daytime hotspot for outdoor activities, much loved by Florentines. Every Tuesday the park hosts the city’s largest open-air market, with very good offers on local specialties such as cheese, vegetables and honey.Frederick Stibbert Villa. Trans-formed from a simple Italian park to a romantic English gar-den by Giuseppe Poggi, this out-door space features temples, rock caves, fountains and a mysteri-ous Egyptian temple. Entrance to the garden is free; closed only on Thursdays. Address: Via Federigo Stibbert, 26.Why not try the Boboli Gardens? While picnics and jogging are note permitted, they offer a green respite from the summer heat. The Tuscan countryside is also studded with villas, palaces and castles, such as Cafaggiolo and Trebbio in the Mugello region; and the Medici villas of Cerreto Guidi, Petraia and Careggi, which are all waiting to be enjoyed on a nice day.

Where is the Best Beach? Discover Tuscany’s top 18 shores

Italy’s most important environ-mental agency, Legambiente, awarded 18 beaches in Tuscany with the Blue Flag last year. Based on a criteria of 32 items, the beach-es were categorized by their water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and ser-vices. As the weather heats up and a day at the beach beckons, why not check out some of the following spots? Top-rated Tuscan and Ital-ian shores are: Carrara-Marina di Carrara (Massa-Carrara); Forte dei Marmi, Pietrasanta, Camaiore, Viareggio (Lucca); Pisa-Marina di

Pisa, Calambrone, Tirrenia (Pisa); Livorno-Antignano, Quercianella, Rosignano Marittimo-Castigli-oncello, Vada, Cecina-Marina, Le Gorette, Bibbona-Marina, Cast-agneto Carducci, San Vincenzo, Piombino-Parco Naturale della Sterpaia, Marciano Marina-La Fenicia (Livorno); and Follonica, Castiglione della Pescaia, Grosse-to-Marina di Grosseto, Principina al mare, and Monte Argentario (Grosseto).Further north, but still very acces-sible, is the rocky Italian Riviera of Liguria, the area where the Cinque Terre are. Its blue-flag beaches are: Bordighera, Santo Stefano al

mare-Baia azzurra, San Lorenzo al Mare (Imperia); Loano, Pietra Ligure Ponente, Finale Ligure, Noli, Spotorno-Zona Moli Sirio e Sant’Antonio, Bergeggi, Savo-na-Fornaci, Albissola Marina, Albisola Superiore, Celle Ligure, Varazze (Savona); Chiavari, La-vagna, Moneglia (Genova); and Framura, Lerici, and Ameglia-Fi-umaretta (La Spezia).For those planning on traveling south to Rome, the advice is to check out these beaches: Anzio (Roma), Marina di Latina, Sa-baudia, San Felice Circeo, Sper-longa, Gaeta, and Ventotene-Ca-la Nave (Latina).



CITY BEAT

Engel & Völkers Firenze Michelangelo

Lungarno Guicciardini, 25-27r055 281 076

Dining with Dante

Named after Dante Alighieri’s most famous work, The Divine Comedy, this homely, rustic tav-erna fittingly lies on Via dei Cima-tori, only a few meters away from Dante’s House.The venue prides itself on its in-novative and creative idea of pre-paring solely traditional dishes based on medieval recipes. Some are adapted and revisited for the modern age but in a way that one maintains the omnipresent feel-ing of Florentine history and tra-dition – so much so that Dante himself could walk in and dine next to you. As a matter of fact, this is a regular occurrence at Taverna La Divina Commedia, as the venue regularly hosts recitals from Dante’s great work by pro-fessional costumed performers. Traditional medieval-style dishes include home-made ribbon pas-

Taverna La Divina Commedia

Via dei Cimatori, 7/r055 21 53 69

Open daily: 11.30 a.m.–12.30 a.m.

ta with wild boar and mushroom sauce, roast shin of pork with new potatoes and seasonal vegetables, risotto inspired by medieval Tus-can flavors, and tasting plates of assorted cheeses accompanied with fresh fruit and jams, includ-ing the taverna’s specialty hot red pepper jam.Also serving as a wine bar and pizzeria, the restaurant offers an eclectic selection of wines from its cellar, an outdoor summer ter-race, and is fittingly decorated in a medieval style with armour and banners – and, of course, a man-datory bust of Dante himself.

Taverna La Divina Commedia offers medieval-style dishes

A Florentine Branch for Engel & Völkers

With more than 35 years of expe-rience in the brokerage of high-end real estate, Engel & Völkers belongs to the leading service providers in the industry today. The international network and the local market knowledge of the company experts create the foun-dation of its success. This gives the customer invaluable benefits, particularly in the commercial real estate sector. Whether you

wish to sell or to let or are looking for a suitable property yourself, or you are seeking sustainable com-petitive advantages or the long-term creation of value, Engel & Völkers is the best choice.

Antique Clock Tradition Survives at Nuti

One day in the early 1950s a young woman took her son Valerio by the hand and led him to his first day of school. She wanted him to become a dentist. As with all mothers, she wanted a safe, well-paid job for her son.The school was one of the most renowned in Florence, offering courses in different disciplines. But this particular day proved dis-appointing for the woman.

“The dentist school is full, but there is one place available in the watchmaking school – should we sign your son up here?” she was asked by the employee.The woman said yes. The kid was lively and, even if the future she was dreaming for him was a dif-ferent one, it was better to enroll him in a watchmaking school than have him create trouble at home or be led astray on the

Antichi Orologi e Gioielli Nuti

Via della Scala 10/rTel.: 055-294594

Opening hours: 9 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.4 to 7 p.m., closed on Monday

morning

streets. At least he would do some-thing.No choice could have been be bet-ter. Valerio soon excelled at watch-making; his manual dexterity was natural, as natural as the passion he developed for clocks.After school he repaired watch-es and fell in love with collecting them. In 1975, he made the move and opened his own jewelry shop, Antichi Orologi e Gioielli Nuti.The jeweller’s is now run by Vale-rio’s family, which keeps his spirit and story alive.The collection is worth a visit. In addition to pieces that belonged to the Florentine aristocracy, which form the core of the collec-tion, it features pendulum clock from the French Directory period, clocks that Napoleon gave to his perennially late officials during military campaigns; a French

amphora-shaped clock from the second half of the nineteenth cen-tury; English tower clocks by John Hoger; and clocks from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century by Breguet, a company established in 1775 in Paris.All clocks and jewels are certified, making the shipping faster as it can take up to several days to ship a non-certified piece.Time is money. At Nuti, it is also history.



Stepping into Paolo Fattori’s el-egant leather workshop is a sur-prising experience: light and airy with clean lines and a minimalist feel, it’s where the modern world meets ancient Florentine tradi-tion. Only the lingering scent of leather and the sight of Paolo bus-ily working at an island bench in-dicates that this is, in fact, a botte-ga (workshop) producing finely crafted leather bags, backpacs, belts and various articles from the hands of the man himself.Rolls of jewel-colored leather line the walls, numbered and certi-fied by Tuscan company Consor-zio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale, which practises an artisan method of vegetable-dyed leather that has its origins in the Renaissance. Although Paolo has only been working in leather full-time for six years, he’s already

Take Home Artisan Tradition With Furò e Punteruolo

made a name for himself both in Florence and as far afield as Japan. However, manual dexterity runs in Paolo’s veins; his father and grandfather worked in wood and iron, and he credits them with his ability.“In Tuscany, manual skill is wide-spread and forms part of the ge-

netic heritage of the region,” he says. Indeed, Paolo’s workshop is named after the two principal instruments of the trade: the furò and punteruolo. Drop by and watch the craftsman at work on Via del Giglio, 29/r, tucked in between San Lorenzo and SMN train station.

Discover Venice in Santa Croce

Alvise GiustinianCorso Tintori, 19/r

055 246 62 95www.alvisegiustian.com

Murano glass and Carnevale mask enthusiasts need not travel to Ven-ice for quality souvenir items. Alvise Giustinian is a gift and art store spe-cializing in Murano-made items and that guarantees the sale of purely Murano products, with no importa-tion. Products include masks, jew-elry, and glass objects for the home. Jewelry has proven to be the shop’s most popular item, due to the ease of transport and availability of prod-ucts starting at merely €5, according to its owner Paola. Alvise Giustini-an’s spacious interior allows for an abundant selection of gifts and a comfortable shopping experience. Paola’s customers tell her that pric-

es in this beautiful, museum-like shop are lower than those in Venice. If you’re in Florence but looking for classic Venetian crafts such as pa-pier-mâché masks and handmade glass, then Alvise Giustinian is a store worth a visit.

CITY BEAT

Sandwiches, Salads,Soups, Onion Rings,

Fries, Pasta & Fresh Fruit.

THE BEST SUBS IN TOWN

Mon. - Sat.: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.Via Sant'Egidio, 22/r

347 11 88 056 • theoilshoppe.it

A Florentine Tradition

The smell of tripe cooking on the streets of Florence was once so overwhelming that Lorenzo de’ Medici banned the kiosks alto-gether. However, such was its pop-ularity that once the Medici lost power, tripe returned in force and secured its place as a mainstay of Florentine street food. Initially, tripe was a staple food for laborers and the working classes, and it dates as far back as the four-teenth century. Simple wooden street carts served sandwiches stuffed with tripe, and this tradi-tion continues today, albeit in the more sophisticated kiosks that can be found dotted around the city.

Trippa, or tripe, is made from the cow’s pre-stomachs, and is soft, white, and mostly flavorless. En-joyed in many regions of Italy, it is cooked in a variety of ways. Lampredotto, however, is the uniquely local Florentine version, made from the cow’s fourth stom-ach, called the abomasum. Tus-can cooks boil it with tomatoes, onions, parsley and celery for two to three hours and then serve it in a Tuscan bread roll with salt, pepper, chilli oil or salsa verde (green sauce). Locals recommend L’Antico Trippaio, which has a reputation for making the best lampredotto in town, located in Piazza dei Cimatori.

In true Florentine tradition, the outdoor food cart provides trippa, lampredotto, lesso,

poppa, matrice, porchetta, salumi, and wild boar sausages made fresh daily. L’Antico

Trippaio is the best place to enjoy excellent panini and focacce like a true local. Just steps

from the Duomo, it is one of the most frequented lunch spots in the historic city

center.

Your one-stop shop for a lampredotto sandwich in Piazza dei Cimatori

and San Lorenzo

www.anticotrippaio.it

On Tour with Ciao Florence As a leading tour operator in Flor-ence with multilingual staff, Ciao Florence offers a range of regular and private tours to Venice, Rome, Naples and Tuscany. Ciao Florence has a variety of dai-ly and weekend excursions where one can discover the Cinque Terre and hike between the enchanting villages that cling to the cliffs, or dine in the Chianti with a sunset view of Tuscan hills and vineyards.

The tour company also offers its customers the chance to skip the queue at museums and galleries such as the Uffizi and Accademia. Other activities include pizza and gelato-making classes and Flor-ence Walking Tours (complete with an aperitivo). Tuscan cooking classes and Chianti wine-tasting sessions are also available.

For more information visit:www.ciaoflorence.it

www.salonecontrasto.it

LIFESTYLE SALON & SPA

Via de' Neri, 53-55/r 055 23 98 553

CONCEPT SALON - without appointment

Via de' Neri, 49/r 055 28 28 41

CONCEPT SALONVia dei Benci, 5/r

055 21 92 27



HISTORY

NAIMA NAIMALIVE SPORT

Via dell'Anguillara, 54/r I 347 19 41 013 [email protected]

Twice a year, on July 2 and August 16, Siena’s bowl-shaped Piazza del Campo is covered with a thick lay-er of dirt, and the Palio takes over. Understanding the Palio, however, is impossible without knowing its history. The tradition began in the four-teenth century, when the districts of Siena known as the contrade organized public races in compe-tition with one another. The first riders rode buffalos in races called pali alla lunga, which weren’t confined to the Piazza del Campo but rather ran across the city. When bullfighting was out-lawed in 1590, horse races took their place in the piazza.Il Palio is one of only a few medi-eval festivals in Italy that has car-

Race for Glory

ried on its tradition throughout the centuries (not simply brought back for the twentieth century out of nostalgia or for tourism) thanks to the tenacity, pride, and traditionalism of the Sienese. The Palio was only ever cancelled once (during World War II) – apart from this incident the horses have raced each year since 1656. Since the first official Palio in 1656, just one race was initially held each year on July 2, named Il Palio di Provenzano, in honor of the Ma-donna of Provenzano. The second, on August 16, began in 1701 and was named Il Palio dell’Assunta, in honor of the Assumption of Mary. Coinciding with the Feast of the Assumption, it is assumed that this second palio was probably in-

troduced spontaneously as part of the celebration of feast.Of the original 59, there are 17 contrade still in existence today; of these, only 10 are chosen to race in each year’s Palio. The sev-en contrade that do not take part in the previous year are automati-cally included, and three more are chosen by draw.The morning of the competition begins with a special Mass to bless the riders and horses, followed by a colorful parade of the members of the contrade and their retinue that ends in the Piazza del Campo. Each contrada’s participant enters the square around 3:30 p.m., but the main processional does not start until nearly 5 p.m., when a pageant of flag-throwers bearing

Entrance is free; arrive before midday. Bleacher and balcony

seats from €250 to €600 www.comune.siena.it

A short history of the Palio the colors and symbols of their districts perform in the piazza.Although a very festive event, the honor at stake is no laughing mat-ter. Districts are known to take extra measures to prevent rival contrade from winning: especial-ly since historically enemies cele-brate as joyfully as if they them-selves had won it.Cheating is commonplace since the race has very few rules: jock-eys can pull, push and hit both the horses and each other, and use their whips on other competitors and their horses.Il Palio is won not by the jockey, but by the horse who represents his contrada, so a horse can win without its rider if it’s the first to cross the line. The loser of the race

is considered to be the contrada whose horse came second, not last.After a rapid and intense three laps around the Campo the race is over, and the celebrations or lamentations begin. The winning contrada is awarded the presti-gious prize of a banner, called the palio or drappellone, which is thought to bring great luck to the district that wins it, and is newly designed each year by a local art-ist for the July Palio, or an interna-tionally recognized artist for the August Palio.



EVENTS

PITTI IMMAGINE BIMBOCollections for kidsJune 25–27Fortezza da Basso

CIOMPI MONTHLY ANTIQUE FAIRJune 28Piazza dei Ciompi9 a.m.–6 p.m.

FOLKLORE & FOLK FESTIVALS

HISTORICAL FLORENTINE SOCCER TOURNAMENT: SEMI-FINALS TORNEO SAN GIOVANNIJune 13–14Piazza di Santa Croce5 p.m.www.comune.fi.it

HISTORICAL FLORENTINE SOCCER TOURNAMENT: FINAL MATCH TORNEO SAN GIOVANNIJune 24Piazza di Santa Croce5 p.m.www.comune.fi.it

I FOCHI DI SAN GIOVANNI: FIREWORKS DISPLAYJune 24 at 10 p.m.

SPORTST. JOHN’S EVENING RUNJune 20 at 9 p.m.Piazza Duomowww.firenzemarathon.it

FIVB VOLLEYBALL WORLD LEAGUE: ITALY VS. BRAZILJune 21 at 8 p.m.Nelson Mandela Forumwww.boxol.it

ARTOUR BEAUTY IN THE SQUARE: TRAVELLING TRADE FAIR OF ITALIAN ARTISTIC HANDICRAFTJune 2Piazza Strozzi10 a.m.–8 p.m.www.artex.firenze.it

IL MERCATALE DI FIRENZE: QUALITY PRODUCTS MARKETJune 6 & 20June 6: Piazza della Repubblica; June 20: Piazza Del Carmine, 28 a.m.–8 p.m.

BEES & BEEKEEPERSJune 6–7Piazza Santissima Annunziata9 a.m.–7 p.m.www.lafierucola.org

SANTO SPIRITO FAIRJune 14Piazza Del Carmine, 09 a.m.–7:30 p.m.

PITTI IMMAGINE UOMOJune 16–19Fortezza da Basso

FORTEZZA ANTIQUARIA: ANTIQUE MARKETJune 20–21Piazza Vittorio Veneto8 a.m.–8 p.m.

LYNN CHADWICK: A RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION FOR TWO GARDENSUntil August 30Villa Bardini & Boboli GardenBardini Garden: Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Closed on Monday; Boboli Garden until June 9; 8:15 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; Closed on 1st and last Monday of the month

HERO IN FLORENCE: SARACINO INTERPRETS MICHELANGELOUntil September 20Accademia Gallery8:15 a.m.–6.50 p.m.; Closed on Monday

ANTONY GORMLEY: HUMANUntil September 29Via S. Leonardo, 110 a.m.–8 p.m. (last entrance 7 p.m.); Closed on Mondaywww.musefirenze.it

A RENAISSANCE DINNER TABLEUntil October 31Bargello National Museum8:15 a.m.–5 p.m.; Closed on Monday

MAGNIFICENTUntil October 31Palazzo VecchioMonday to Sunday 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday to Sunday 9 a.m.–7 p.m. (last show at 6:30pm); Thursday 9 a.m.–2 p.m. (last show at 1:30 p.m.)

SACRED TREASURES OF MEDICI FAMILY DEVOTIONUntil November 3Museum of Medici ChapelsMonday to Sunday 8:15 a.m.–4:50 p.m.; Closed on the 2nd and 4th Sunday and 1st, 3rd and 5th Monday of each month

MIRABILIA: THE ANIMAL, PLANT, MINERAL WORLD IN THE MEDICI PORTRAITSUntil June 30Natural History Museum – Zoology Section La SpecolaTuesday to Sunday 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Closed on Monday

CARLO DOLCIJune 30 – November 15Pitti Palace, Palatine GalleryTuesday to Sunday 8:15 p.m.–6:50 p.m.; Closed on Mondaywww.polomuseale.firenze.it

GIANFRANCO FERRONI AT THE UFFIZI GALLERYUntil July 5UffiziGallery10 a.m.–5 p.m.www.polomuseale.firenze.it

CERAMICS OF THE FLORENTINE MANUFACTURE (1880-1920) THE BRUNO CAINI COLLECTIONUntil July 15 Exhibition Hall - Ente Cassa di Risparmio di FirenzeMonday to Friday 9 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m.–1 p.m./3 p.m.–7 p.m.www.entecarifirenze.it

LUTE PLAYER BY FRANCESCO SALVIATI FROM THE MUSÉE JACQUEMART-ANDRÉUntil July 20Pitti Palace, Palatine GalleryTuesday to Sunday 8:15 a.m.–6:50 p.m.; Closed on Monday

SCULPTURE ALSO DIES: SCULPTURE BEYOND 2000′SUntil July 26CCC Strozzina

SWEET TRIUMPHS: SCULPTURES OF SUGAR ON THE TABLE OF THE MEDICI COURTUntil June 7Pitti Palace, Palatine GalleryTuesday to Sunday 8:15 a.m.–6:50 p.m.; Closed on Monday

NINO TIRINNANZI: METAPHYSICS OF BEAUTYUntil June 7Pitti Palace, Gallery of Modern ArtTuesday to Sunday 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Closed on Mondaywww.polomuseale.firenze.it

LAPIS LAZULI: THE MAGIC OF BLUEJune 9 – October 11The Medici Treasury8:15 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Closed on the 1st and the last Monday of each month

GAVIN KENYON: LIFT YOUR HEAD, GIVE ME THE BEST SIDE OF YOUR FACEUntil June 10Marino Marini Museum10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Closed on Tuesdays, Sundays & Public Holidays

GREAT SMALL BRONZES OF THE MEDICI AND GRANDUCAL COLLECTIONSUntil June 21National Archaeological MuseumMonday, Saturday & Sunday 8:30 a.m.– 2 p.m.; Tuesday to Friday 8:30 a.m.– 7 p.m.

POWER & PATHOS: BRONZES OF THE HELLENISTIC WORLDUntil June 21Palazzo StrozziDaily 9 a.m.–8 p.m.; Thursdays 9 a.m.–11 p.m.

PIERO DI COSIMOJune 22 – September 27UffiziGallery8:15 a.m.–6:50 p.m.; Closed on Monday

1940-1944 FLORENCE AT WAR: HISTORY AND MEMORYUntil June 28Medici Riccardi Palace

EXHIBITIONS FAIRS & MARKETS



ENTERTAINMENT

DIRECTOR: George MillerSTARS: Charlize Theron, Tom HardyPLOT: In the furthest reaches of our planet, where humanity is broken, and everyone is fightingforthenecessitiesoflife,therearetwo rebels who just might be able to restore order – Max, a man of action and few words, who seeks peace of mind following the loss of his wife and child in the aftermath of the chaos, and Furiosa, a woman of action who believes her path to survival may be achieved if she can make it across the desert back to her childhood homeland. DATES/HOURS:Monday, June 1: 5:15, 9:00 p.m.Tuesday, June 2: 5:15, 9:00 p.m.Wednesday, June 3: 5:15, 9:00 p.m.

DIRECTOR: Brad BirdSTARS: George Clooney, Britt Robertson & Huge LauriePLOT: Bound by a shared destiny, a teen burstingwithscientificcuriosityandaformerboy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory. DATES/HOURS:Thursday, June 4: 5:00 p.m.Friday, June 5: 5:00, 9:00 p.m.Saturday, June 6: 5:00, 9:00 p.m.Sunday, June 7: 5:00, 9:00 p.m.

DIRECTOR: Jean-Pierre JeunetSTARS: Helena Bohnam Carter, Judy Dabis & Callum Keith RiennePLOT: T.S. Spivet lives on a remote ranch in Montana with his parents, his sister Gracie and his brother Layton. A gifted child with a passion for science, he has invented a perpetual motion machine, for which he has been awarded the prestigious Baird Prize by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. He leaves a note for his family and boards a freight train to make his way across the United States and receive his prize. But no one there suspects that the lucky winner is a 10-year-old child with a very dark secret... DATES/HOURS:Monday, June 15: 5:30, 9:00 p.m.Tuesday, June 16: 5:30, 9:00 p.m.Wednesday, June 17: 5:30, 9:00 p.m.Monday, June 22: 5:30 p.m.Tuesday, June 23: 5:30, 9:00 p.m.

DIRECTOR: Alan RickmanSTARS: Kate Winslet & Matthias SchoenaetsPLOT:AlanRickman’ssecondfilmasdirectorhits the screens. A Little Chaos is a romantic drama following Sabine (Academy Award winner Kate Winslet), a strong-willed and talented landscape designer who is chosen to build one of the main gardens at King Louis XIV’s new palace at Versailles. In her new position of power, she challenges gender and class barriers while also becoming professionally and romantically entangled with the court’s renowned landscape artist André Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts). DATES/HOURS:Wednesday, June 24: 5:15, 9:00 p.m.Thursday, June 25: 5:15, 9:00 p.m.Friday, June 26: 5:15, 9:00 p.m.Saturday, June 27: 5:15, 9:00 p.m.Sunday, June 28: 5:15, 9:00 p.m.

DIRECTOR: Billy WilderStars: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis & Jack LemmonPLOT: When two musicians witness a mob hit,theyfleethestateinanall-femalebanddisguised as women, but further complications set in. DATE/HOUR:Thursday, June 4: 9:00 p.m.

DIRECTOR: Blake EdwardsSTARS: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy & Jimmy Durante PLOT: Jimmy Durante is jungle star Schnarzan the Conqueror, but the public is tiring of his fake lions. So when Baron Munchausen comes to town with real man-eating lions, Durante throws a big party with so that he might use thelionsinhisnextmovie.Hisfilmrivalsneaksinto the party to buy the lions before Durante. DATE/HOUR:Thursday, June 18: 9:00 p.m.

ODEON CINEMAPiazza Strozzi, Firenze055 214 068Office:055295051www.odeonfirenze.comTickets: regular: €7.50; reduced: €6**Every Wednesday; students from Mon. to Fri. and selected partnerships.

DIRECTOR: Davis AyerSTARS: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBoeuf & Logan LermanPLOT: BradPittleadsatankcrewinthefinaldays of World War II in this war drama from End of Watch’s David Ayer. The year is 1945. Battle-hardened army sergeant Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) is the grizzled commander of a Sherman tank. Determined to strike a decisive victory for the Allies in the European Theater,Wardaddyleadshisfive-mancrewon a treacherous mission behind enemy lines. His mission complicated by the sudden appearance of a rookie soldier in his platoon, the sergeant knows that victory is within reach, and vows to achieve it by any means necessary. DATES/HOURS:Monday, June 8: 5:00, 9:00 p.m.Tuesday, June 9: 5:00, 9:00 p.m.Wednesday, June 10: 5:00, 9:00 p.m.

DIRECTOR: Colin TreverrowSTARS: Chris Patt & Judy GreerPLOT: Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park (1993), Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. This new park is owned by the Patel Corporation. Owen (Chris Pratt), a member of Jurassic World’s on-site staff,conductsbehavioralresearchontheVelociraptors. After 10 years of operation, Jurassic World’s visitor attendance rates begintodecline.Inordertofulfillacorporatemandate, a new attraction, a genetically-enhanced hybrid dinosaur, the Indominus Rex is created to re-spark visitor’s interest, adecisionthatendsupbackfiringinacatastrophic way.

DATES/HOURS:Thursday, June 18: 5:00, 9:00 p.m.Friday, June 19: 5:00, 9:00 p.m.Saturday, June 20: 5:00, 9:00 p.m.Sunday, June 21: 5:00, 9:00 p.m.

DIRECTOR: Maya ForbesSTARS:ZoeSaldana,MarkRuffaloPLOT: A manic-depressive mess of a father tries to win back his wife by attempting to take full responsibility of their two young, spirited daughters, who don’t make the overwhelming task any easier. DATES/HOURS:Monday, June 29: 5:15, 9:00 p.m.

ODEON CULT



SAN GIMIGNANO

Fattoria Il Piano San GimignanoLOCALITA MONTAUTO -53037 SAN GIMIGNANO ( SI )

www.Fattoriailpiano.it | FB: Il Piano wines and wine tasting

WINES & WINE TASTINGS : (0039) 320 631 46 55 • [email protected] • AGRITOURISMO : (0039) 0577 940 551 • [email protected]

A series of exclusive concerts accompanied by Fine Wines and Tuscan food

First taste our premier wines and visit our cantina.

Then relax and listen to some outstanding musicians.

Finally enjoy a typical Tuscan feast under the stars.

Musica da Vino

Reservations required to book go to www.MusicaDaVino.com

The medieval festival Fiera delle Messi, held every year on the third weekend of June returns from June 13–15 for its 15th edition.The festival is a modern version of the Harvest Feast of the Middles Ages, when San Gimignano, as well as other towns in central Italy, celebrated the harvest with music, dances and jousts. It aims to re-cre-ate atmosphere of the harvest pe-riod, complete with costumes and knights of the Middle Ages.The event, organized by the Cava-lieri di Santa Fina, an association that comemmorates the past of San

Gimignano (whose name comes from Fina dei Ciardi, patron of the city) begins at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, June 13 in Piazza Duomo and goes until 11 p.m, with medieval dances, drums and knights exhibits.On Saturday, the festivities begin at 4 p.m. with a reproduction of a military camp in the Rocca di Mon-testaffoli. At 4:30 a colorful costume parade arrives in Piazza Duomo, marking the start of other attrac-tions and events that closes at night with music and dancing in the piaz-za.On Sunday, the festival events start

Fiera delle Messi Celebrates Harvest from June 13–15

at 11 a.m. with a medieval market in Piazza delle Erbe. It features the military camp at the Rocca di Mon-testaffol, with traditional music and dancing. At 4:50, preceding a costume parade and a joust, a flag-thrower show is scheduled. The parade will have more than 500 men dressed in handmade costumes. At 7 p.m. the Joust of Bastioni is scheduled to take place, along with the borough’s knights challenging to win a prize gold blade. The festi-val conclude around 7:30 p.m. with a circle dance involving both partic-ipants and visitors.

Musica da Vino Returns on July 5

Wine-tasting and classical music: the Musica da Vino formula hosted annually by Fattoria il Piano contin-ues on July 5 with a concert by the Boccherini Ensemble. The group features guitarists from the Luigi Boccherini Scuola di Musica of Luc-ca performing music by Boccheri-ni, as well as music of Spanish and Mexican origin. It follows a yearly tradition of the prestigious music academy, which sends some of its top students to perform at Il Piano.The Boccherini Ensemble marks the second in the series of four annual concerts, which began last month with Two Germans in Tuscany. The evening begins with guests en-joying tasting selection of Il Piano wines, followed by the concert. A typical Tuscan feast proceeds, un-der the stars at the winery’s pictur-esque and elegant villa.

Perched at the top of a hill facing the medieval town of San Gimignano, the Fattoria il Piano has a splen-did view overlooking Tuscan trees, vineyards and olive groves. The converted farmhouses offer guests a comfortable stay with apartments and a panoramic swimming pool featuring sunbeds, umbrellas and a changing room. Surrounding fields, woods and stretches of agricultural can be explored on foot or mountain bikes, which may be hired locally. Fattoria il Piano offers wine-tast-ing tours that begin with a stroll through the vineyards, family cha-pels and even the underground cel-lar, carved out of the earth by local workers in 1925. Accompanied by a selection of local foods, the tasting of local wines takes place on the ve-randa with a magnificent view of the San Gimignano towers.



SAN GIMIGNANO

“Cindarella is the living proof that a pair of shoes can change your life”

Located in V. San Giovanni, Cindarella offers shoes, jackets, socks, belts,bags, scarves, clothing and accessories all rigorously Made in Italy and selected for clients who wish to experience a unique shopping experience, just like in a fairytale...

Daily:9:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Via San Giovanni, 36 San Gimignano

334 397 4862

KEEP CALM & BUY SHOESThe company Le Torri was born for collecting, producing and selling high-quality artisan leather goods with leather exclusively ‘Made in Italy,’ somethingthatisnoteasytofindtoday.The three shops are located in Via San Giovanni. Products include bags for women, business bags for men, belts, wallets, as well as other goods and can be purchased both online and in store.

Daily:9.30 a.m. - 8.30 p.m.

The Torture and Death Penalty Mu-seum displays more than 100 tools designed to torture and kill. Some of these tools are extremely rare, dating to the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They in-clude the notorious ‘iron maiden,’ the guillotine, rack, torture chair and the chastity belt. Also on dis-play are lesser-known sophisticated devices, such as the ‘heretic’s fork,’ the ‘noisemaker’s fife,’ the ‘Spanish spider’, and flaying instruments.

Via San Giovanni, 22-24Via San Giovanni, 34

Via San Giovanni, 117San Gimignano

0577 940 851www.letorrionline.com

‘MADE IN ITALY’ LEATHERLe Torri

The Galleria Gagliardi was estab-lished in 1991, in a 400-square-me-ter space once used as a garage and farm machinery store. Today, the Galleria bears absolutely no resem-blance to the original building apart from a section of the floor made up of oak boards, covering a hole which once enabled repairs to the underside of cars and machinery in the absence of a ramp. This work of art was created by the previous

owner, Dino Conforti, and has been left in his memory. Since 1991, the exhibition area of the gallery has been extended and the gallery has now become a cultural reference for the promotion and sale of con-temporary art. Every work is chosen directly from the studios of artists who constantly experiment new solutions through their research, re-newing their approach and skills. The gallery exhibits ceramic, bronze

Explore the Gagliardi Contemporary Art Gallery

A Journey Through Human Cruelty

Via San Giovanni, 82 & 125San Gimignano

Open daily: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.0577-940526, 055-940151

Tickets: Full €10 Concessions: €7; Groups: €5

Ticket valid for free admission to the Museum of Death Penalty

www.museodellatortura.it

and marble sculptures; conceptual, abstract and figurative paintings as well as works in steel, iron and wood by Italian and international artists.

Galleria GagliardiContemporary Art

Via San Giovanni, 57San Gimignano

[email protected]

Adopting CowsDondoli’s master gelato secrets

Chianti in Music

What’s the best investment for the best gelato? Buy and nurture, in a completely natural way, the best cows. That’s the answer from gelato mas-ter Sergio Dondoli, who recently bought 10 cows from Poggio di Camporbiano, a local farm well-known for its biodynamic products.Having opened his gelateria in 1992 in the central square of San Gimigna-no, Dondoli has always researched quality through the products of the territory around San Gimignano, located in the sunny Tuscan hills. Dondoli’s work has clearly paid off:

The first concert scheduled for Ar-monia in Ville e Castelli, a summer concert series performed in Chianti villas, takes place on Saturday, June 20 at Villa Vignamaggio in Greve in Chianti.

Subsequent performances are scheduled throughout the months of July, August and September.

his gelateria is ranked as the second gourmet gelateria in the world in the Lonely Planet traveller guide book, and D0ndoli himself has been a gelato world champion for both the 2006/2007 and 2008/2009 seasons.His most famous, copyrighted ‘cre-ations’ are Crema di Santa Fina, made with saffron and pine nuts; the Champelmo, made with pink grape-fruit and sparkling wine; Dolceama-ro, a cream made of aromatic herbs; Sorbetto di Vernaccia, inspired by San Gimignano’s most famous wine (Vernaccia); and Venere Nera, made with blackberries and lavender.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and features performances by the award-winning Chicas del David flute trio. The price for an aperitivo and concert ticket is €30, or €50 with the addition of dinner.

For more information, visit the Tour-ist Office in Greve in Chianti or call 055-853606.

Since 1720 Fattoria Montagliari has produced Chianti Classico DOCG, Chianti Classico Riserva, Brunesco di San Lorenzo IGT, grappa, brandy, amaro di San Lorenzo, aged vin santo, extra-virgin olive oil, and aged Trebbiano balsamic (20 and 28 years). Products can be purchased from the online shop as well as in the farm store and restaurant. The farm, located in the heartofChianti,offerscookingclassesand wine tastings.

Bus stop: ‘Cappelli’ between Lamole - Panzano in Chianti.

V. Montagliari, 29 Panzano in Chianti

055 85 20 [email protected] www.fattoriamontagliari.com

MONTAGLIARI FARMHOUSE COOKING CLASSES & WINE TASTINGS



LEISURE

If you thought art was all Florence had to offer, think again. A fantas-tic opportunity to get yourself and the kids out into the fresh air is a day at an adventure park.Just outside Florence in Pratolino is Tuscany’s largest forest adven-ture park, Il Gigante. Taking you high up into the trees to climb, jump, and slide along zip-wires, the park has more than 10 rope courses at six different difficulty levels, based on age and height, with the training and as-sistance of expert instructors. And it’s not just for adults! The hardest black-ropes course is 15 meters above the ground, but there are also many courses suit-able for kids aged three years and

Discover the Adventure Park for Kids and Adults Alike

up.It’s the perfect location for all kinds of celebrations, such as birthday parties, with discounts available for school groups and scouts/summer camp groups. The trails, meadows, and picnic areas also offer a great place to es-cape from the city and have fun in nature. Located in the woods of Poggio la Garena of Pratolino, just across from the Medici Villa Demidoff, the adventure park is reachable by ATAF bus 25A from the Piazza San Marco stop ‘La Pira’, or by SITA bus 306 from the train station.Those who fear heights or simply don’t wish to climb can enter for free and relax at the corner bar.

Reachable in 15 minutes with Bus 25A from Piazza San Marco

Opening Hours:June to September Tuesday to Sunday:

10 a.m.– sunset

Rest of the season Saturday, Sunday and festival

days: 10 a.m.– sunset

Closed December to February

The park can be booked outside of these hours for groups of

minimum 10 people.

Via Fiorentina, 276–5036www.parcoavventurailgigante.it

Ivana Scatola

Having explored Tuscany on horseback, the only way this ex-perience could compare would be experiencing it via Vespa or quad bike – two options that tour oper-ator Fun in Tuscany offers as well. The day was jam-packed with new experiences, beautiful sights and tastes, and a wonderful group of people: unquestionably one of the best I’ve had in Tuscany yet. After a hack through a beautiful Tuscan forest that wove in and out of vineyards, we tasted the range of gorgeous homemade honey. We then went on to the ancient hilltop town of San Gimignano (built in 1300), where we experienced in-credible gelato and stunning Tus-can views, before moving onto a restaurant villa in which we were given a private room and a tradi-tional Tuscan three-course meal to accompany our wine-tasting. Fun In Tuscany’s success is at-tributed to the fact that the tour is unlike other typical, ‘supermarket

Have Fun in Tuscany on Horseback

tourism’ tour organisers. All tours are undertaken in groups of max-imum eight people, and cater to the interests of the group. Private time is provided so that people can explore the place themselves, yet the option is available to fol-low an organiser if they so wish. In this way, the group and the tour have a very intimate and per-sonal feel, and you really gain the strong impression that the organ-isers are truly interested in you as people, instead of simply tourists and clients. They took us to plac-es I would never have been able to find myself if I were organising a personal trip; such as a gelate-ria that has twice won the Gela-to World Championships in San Gimignano. They were incredibly obliging to our requests and ques-tions and refreshingly knowledge-able. What I loved seeing most was that they really were enjoying themselves on the tour along with us – having true, genuine ‘Fun in Tuscany.’

Located in Scarperia, a small town about a 30-minute drive from Florence, Osteria LaTorreoffersamenucomprisedofthebest culinary traditions of the Mugello area, revised in a modern way to maintain their simplicity and authenticity. Among the special dishes are the Tortelli Mugellani served with several kinds of ragù sauces and Florentine steaks.

Mon. & Wed.: 10 a.m. - 3p.m.Thu. - Sun.: 10 a.m. - 12 a.m.Closed on Tuesdays

Facebook: La Torre Osteria et BottegaSp 551 loc. la Torre 15

Scarperia-San Piero (FI)055 84 02 240

[email protected]

LA TORRE OSTERIA ET BOTTEGAMEDITERRANEAN SEAFOOD

SPECIALTIESSan Carlo bar offers continental andAmerican breakfast and brunch, simple but refined lunch, a large aperitivobuffet, and an extensive wine andcocktail list. Music and art create a warm, lively atmosphere while friendly staff members are always ready tocater to any requests. San Carlo is a bar suited to any time of day: great foraquickcoffeeor snack,a leisurelyaperitivo or meal, or simply an after-dinner drink with friends.

Specialty:TUNA STEAK

Borgo Ognissanti, 32-34/r055 21 68 79

[email protected]



TRAVEL

Brooke Feichtl

Known for its picturesque sights and a laid-back beach vibe that has attracted celebrities, week-end jetsetters and college students from all around the world, the Amalfi Coast is one of Italy’s true paradises. It is also the site of a variety of un-missable destinations, including Naples, Pompeii and the Isle of Capri. Summer sees the region in full swing, making the trip with Bus2alps to the Isle of Capri and the seaside towns of Positano and Sorrento ideal.

Limoncello, Sun and Black Sandy Beaches

When first visiting this region, vis-itors are greeted with the sight of Mount Vesuvius looming over the countryside and dramatic views of traditional cities built into sloping cliffs. As the tour journeys to the Isle of Capri, visitors experience a mysti-cal place that is home to many an-cient myths, including the sirens from Homer’s Odyssey.On the private boat tour around the island provided by Bus2alps, you too will be captivated, not by mythical creatures, but by the nat-ural beauty of the area. Visitors also journey to the world-famous

Blue Grotto and the peak of Mount Solaro. The grotto is not only ex-ceptional because it is an accessi-ble sea cave, but the sunlight that travels through the entrance illu-minates the clear water and cre-ates brilliant blue and green hues.Mount Solaro is the tallest point on Capri, reaching 589 meters and providing unparalleled views of the landscape. After sunbathing and exploring the island, visit the seaside town of Positano, a short ride from Sant’Agnello and Sor-rento. Positano is made up of mul-ticolored buildings that cling to the cliff above the hot black sand

Included• Round-trip luxury coach

transport (with A/C, DVD, & bathroom)

• Accommodation with your friends at top-rated hostels

• Breakfast• Private ferry to island of

Capri with a private guided boat tour of the island (with a stop at the Blue Grotto)

• Private transfer to Positano• Private transport to

Pompeii • A Bus2alps trip leader• TheAmalfiCoastBus2alps

destination guide

and pebble beaches. Visitors can enjoy people-watching in the glo-rious surrounds and a variety of water sports. Only the Bus2alps tour includes a ferry to Capri with a private boat tour of the island, as well as transportation to Positano and Pompeii. The last day of the trip includes a tour of the ruins of Pompeii accompanied by an op-tional private guide, who recounts fascinating tales of the ancient city’s history.The trip was awarded Second-Best Tour Worldwide and is the two-time winner of Best Tour in Europe by TourRadar in 2012 and 2013.

Visiting the Amalfi Coast with Bus2alps

Via dei Bardi, 19/r339 19 70 902

19ryogapilates.cominfo@ 19ryogapilates.com

• Power Yoga• Ashtanga Yoga• Hatha Yoga

19r offersgreatworkshopsaswellasdestination retreats. Great student

rates daily classes as well as Teacher Training.

See you on the mat!

Love and Light,Melissa and 19r

FREE FIRST TRIAL

YOGA & PILATES IN THE HEART OF FLORENCE

Located in Via de’ Cerchi, Il Cencio Unto is the place where you can taste various typical Tuscan cold cuts and tasting plates. Il Cencio Unto is very selective in its choice of products and offersfreshingredients,made-to-orderdishes with delicious toppings, and a wide selection of wines.

Specialty:COCCOLI

Open daily: 10-12 a.m.

Via de’ Cerchi, 25/r055 21 99 90

[email protected]

TUSCAN COLD CUTS AND FRESH SANDWICHES

Il Cencio Unto



TRAVEL

Known as the playground of the rich and famous, the French Riv-iera boasts more than glamour and billionaires. Also known as the Côte d’Azur, this paradise of spectacular beaches, gastronomy and rich history extends from the Italian border along the southeast-ern corner of the French coastline, including the sovereign state of Monaco. Not only was it one of the first modern resort areas, but its col-or and light attracted numerous master artists such as Paul Sig-nac, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Picasso and Matisse, who set up studios

Old-School Glamour and Modern Luxury

along the coast. After World War II, the French Riviera became a popular tourist destination, and since then it has drawn countless celebrities, such as Brigette Bardot, Elton John, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Tina Turner and Bono. Today the French Riviera is no longer re-served only for the rich and elite but has become more accessible to tourists. Nice is the Cote d’Azur’s largest city and offers many beautiful des-tinations, such as the Promenade des Anglais and Castle Hill, which offers some of the most incredible views overlooking the ocean and

city. Activities available include scuba diving, sailing and canyon-ing; however, for a more relaxed day of exploration the city also offers museums and the famous Cours Saleya flower market. The preserved medieval village of Eze, situated high on the Grand Corniche (1400 feet above sea lev-el), is another location for gorgeous views and is also home to the Fragonard Parfumerie, a famous French perfume factory and shop that is open for tours. Antibes is another beautiful medieval coast-al village known for its 48 beaches, and the IYC, home to some of the

Included• Round-trip luxury coach

transport (with A/C, DVD, & bathroom)

• Accommodation with your friends at top-rated hostels

• Breakfast (optional upgrade available)

• Entrance to Fragonard perfumery with included tour

• The French Riviera Bus2alps destination guide

• Bus2alps trip leader

world’s biggest super yachts. It’s the perfect place to lounge on the beach, eat in the open-air mar-ket, visit the Picasso Museum and shop at the many quaint shops.The glamour Monaco is absolutely not to be missed while vacation-ing on the Cote d’Azur. The world’s second smallest sovereign state is internationally known not only for its renowned Monte Carlo Casino but also for the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, where American actress Grace Kelly resided as Princess of Monaco.An unbeatable spring getaway for students in Florence who want to

Take a trip to the French Riviera with Bus2alps

Mostodolcecraftbrewerywasthefirstofits kind to open in Prato and now supplies twin pubs in Prato and Florence with its award-winning artisan beer. From pitch-black stout to honey beer and a seasonal Christmas variety made from chestnuts, Mostodolce’s range appeals to the most earthy and subtle of palates. Match your choice with complementary dishes created in the pub kitchen: from the hefty flavours of smoked ribs and tortelloniwith wild boar ragout to light snacks and the intriguingly named ‘birramisu’.

Open daily:11–2 a.m.

Via Nazionale, 114/r(near the train station)

055 23 02 928www.mostodolce.it

HAMBURGERS AND AWARD-WINNING

ARTISAN BEER

Sapori & Dintorni is the new way to do the shopping: in the heart ofFlorence there is a place where Food, Culture and Territory meet.Get in and discover the Supermarket to test and taste!Inside you will find many typical products of the Italian food tradition.Buy your favorite product and taste it within the tasting area.

THE SUPERMARKETS ARE OPEN:

• Monday - Saturday: from 08.30 am to 9.00 pm • Sunday: from 09.30 am to 9.00 pm

Il Supermercato...da Gustare e deGustare

Via dei Cerretani

Via de

l Gigli

o

Piazza dellaRepubblica

Via della Vigna Nuova

Via di Parione

Via de

i Fos

si

Basilica diSan Lorenzo

Via delle Oche

Via Porta Rossa

Borg

o Sa

n Lo

renz

oVi

a de

’ Gin

ori

Via

della

Stu

fa

Via Faenza

Via Taddea

Via

Cam

illo B

enso

Cav

our

Piazza diSanta Cicilia

Borgo Santi Apostoli

Chiesa diSanta Trinità

Lungarno Gucciardini

Via dello Sprone

PiazzaSanta Felicita

Via

Mag

gio

Piazza degliAngiolieri

Piazza diSanto Stefano

Piazza dellaSignoria

Piazzadell’Unitàitaliana

Largo FratelliAlinari

Piazza degliOttaviani

Basilica di SantaMaria Novella

Via della Spada

Via dell’ArientoVia Nazi

onale

Via

dei C

alza

iuol

i

Piazza De’ Donati

Via Panzani

Via degli Agli Via dei Pecori

Via dei Lamberti

Via

dei V

ecch

ietti

Via

dei S

asse

tti

Via

dei P

esci

oni

Via

de’ T

orna

buon

i

Via delle Belle Donne

Via de

l Moro

Largo

F. Alina

ri

Via Fiume

Piazza dellaStazione Centrale

Piazza delDuomo

Via

dei M

arte

lli

Via

Rica

soli

Via del Pucci

Stazione FerroviariaFirenze Santa Maria Novella

Via L.Gori

Via del Canto dei Nelli

Via de’ Bardi

Via de’ Bardi

Costa dei Magnoli

Costa S.Giorgio Lungarno Torrigiani

Pont

e Ve

cchio

Fiume Arno

Via Fiume

Largo Fratelli Alinari

Piazzadell’Unitàitaliana

Largo FratelliAlinari

Stazione FerroviariaFirenze SantaMaria Novella

Sapori & DintorniLargo Fratelli Alinari, 6/7

Borg

o Sa

n Lo

renz

o

Via

dei M

arte

lli

Via

Rica

soli

Via L.Gori

Via dei Biffi

Battistero diSan Giovanni

Cattedrale diSanta Maria

del Fiore

Basilica diSan Lorenzo

Sapori & DintorniBorgo San Lorenzo

Ponte

Vecc

hio

Via de’ Bardi

Costa S.Giorgio

PiazzaSanta Felicita

Fiume Arno

Sapori & DintorniVia de’ Bardi, 45/47

FIND YOUR LOCAL SUPERMARKET IN THE CITY CENTER

_S&D_Borgo San Lorenzo_290x405.indd 1 05/03/15 10.37

Download - Florence News & Events June 2015

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